IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


■^  1^    III  2.2 

t  i;g  12.0 


1.8 


11.25  ■  1.4   111  1.6 


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# 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corpoiation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  US80 

(716)  872-4503 


'V- 


L* 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductlons  historlques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibiiographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
origin."!  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  v»hich  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


D 
D 
D 
D 

D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagie 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^e  et/ou  pelliculAe 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


TTj    Coloured  maps/ 

2LI    Cartes  giographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relit  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  Interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serrte  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  rastauration  appacaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  passible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6x6  filmtes. 


L'institut  a  microfiimi  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite.  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mithode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


□   Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 


D 
D 


D 


X 


D 
D 
D 
D 


Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restauries  et/ou  pellicul6es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  ddcolortes,  tachettes  ou  piqutes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d6tach6es 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualit^  inigaie  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplAmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc..  ont  6t6  fiimtes  6  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


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be 

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Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires; 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmi  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 


10X 


14X 


18X 


22X 


26X 


30X 


7^ I  I       I       L 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  filmad  her*  has  b««n  raproducad  thanki 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division  i 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


L'axamplaira  filmi  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  la 
g4n*roriti  dm: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 


Tha  imagas  appearing  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  wheci  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^*>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reductiorx  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  in':luded  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  Tha  following  diagrams  illustrate  tha 
method: 


Les  images  suivantas  ont  At*  reproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nattetA  da  I'axemplaira  filmA,  et  en 
conformity  avac  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 

Las  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commen^ant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  termina.it  <ioit  par  la 
derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  em^reinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  les  autras  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  an  commandant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  —^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  da  rAduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  portir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite. 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  la  nombre 
d'imagas  nAcessaire.  Las  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

^^' 


"> 


"»  * 


_,-^. 


DESCRIPTION 


OF 


1 


^r 


OREGON  AND  CALIFORNIA, 


EMBRACING 


AN    ACCOUNT   OF 


THE   GOLD   REGIONS; 


TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED, 


AN  APPENDIX,  ■ 

CONTAINING    DESCRIPTIONS    OF   VARIOUS   KINDS    OF 

GOLD,    AND    METHODS    OF    TESTING 

ITS    GENUINENESS. 


WITH   A    LARGE   AND    ACCURATE 

MAP  OF  OREGON  AND  CALIFORNIA, 

COMPILED   FROM   THE   LATEST   AUTHORITIES. 


'I  *  '■- ;  r 


PHILADELPHIA: 

THOMAS,   COWPERTHWAIT    &    CO. 

^   -  .  1849.      ■  •       ' 


I 

w 


y 


Entered,  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1819,  by 
.  ■       THOMAS,  COWPERTUVVAIT  &  CO. 

in  the  clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District 

of  Pennsylvania. 


A 


(2) 


PRINTED  BY  SMITH  &  PETERS,  * 

^    ^^^     franklin  Building,,  Sixth  Street  belo^  Arch,  Fhil.i^lelphia.    ,    ^' 


i 


I 


OREGON  AND  CALIFORNIA. 


The  map  of  Oregon  and  California  represents  that 
part  of  the  west  coast  of  North  America  which  extends 
from  north  latitude  32°  to  54°  40',  and  from  the  Pacific 
Ocean  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  includes  an  extent 
of  country  one-fourth  the  size  of  Europe,  being  1560 
miles  in  length,  with  a  breadth  varying  from  350  to  800 
miles,  and  an  area  of  about  825,000  square  miles,  or 
528,000,000  acres. 

Oregon  forms  the  southern  part  of  the  "North-west 
Coast,"  a  term  used  in  the  United  States  to  designate 
that  portion  of  country  lying  along  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  from  Cape  Mendocino,  in  north  latitude 
40°,  to  Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  in  latitude  about  65°. 
The  northern  section  of  California,  reaching  from  the 
sea  800  miles  eastward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
two  decrees  of  latitude  in  width  south  of  Oregon,  being 
about  a  fourth  part  of  the  territory  which  is  included 
within  the  bounds  of  the  "North-west  Coast."  The 
term  in  question  was  derived  from  the  circumstance  of 
the  part  of  the  country  to  which  it  is  applied  lying  in  a 
direction  north-west  from  the  settled  districts  of  the 
United  States, 

The  coast  of  California,  as  well  as  most  part  of  the  coast 
of  Oregon,  differs  essentially  from  that  on  the  Atlantic  in 
the  same  latitudes.  The  Atlantic  coast  is  low  and  open, 
indented  with  numerous  bays,  sounds,  and  river  estu- 
aries, accessible  everywhere,  and  opening  by  many 
channels  into  the  interior.  The  Pacific  coast,  as  far 
north  as  Cape  Flattery,  is  high  and  compact,  with  few 
bays,  and  but  one  (the  Columbia  river)  that  opens  a  pas- 
sage of  any  importance  into  the  heart  of  the  country. 
Tiie  immediate  coast  is  bold  and  abrupt,  being  of  the  cha- 
racter that  seamen  caU  iron-bound ;  some  distance  in- 
land it  is  skirted  by  ranges  of  mountains,  standing  as 
ramparts  between  it  and  the  interior  country.  From  about 
latitude  34°  to  38°  hardly,  an  island  is  to  be  met  with,  and 

• ■ .      .        ay    ^   ■ 


I  I 


DLSCiai'TlON    OF 


the  harbours  are  ihw  and  incfliuicnt,  except  rn  th«  case 
of  tlie  Bay  of  San  Francisco ;  but  from  Capo  Flattery,  tlie 
southern  boundary  of  the  Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca,  tlic 
coast  assumes,  in  ffoing  n^>rtiiward,  a  different  aspect: 
the  continent,  as  well  as  tlie  larger  i^iands,  tliough  the 
shores  are  still  elevated,  is  indented  with  innumerable 
gulfs,  bays,  sounds,  Iiarbours,  &c.  Various  narrow 
passages,  or  canals,  as  they  are  chiefly  called,  run  up 
into  the  interior,  forjning  numerous  islands,  and  con- 
taining many  fine  harbours,  that  arc  destined  doubtless 
at  some  future  period  to  teem  with  a  busy  population. 

Within  the  Strait  of  Juan  de  Fuca  and  the  Gulf  of 
Georgia,  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tides  is  about  eighteen 
feet,  and  the  depth  of  water  is  in  most  cases  sutlicient 
for  large-sized  merchantmen.  South  of  Cape  Flattery 
the  harbours  at  the  mouths  of  rivers  are  generally  ob- 
structed by  sand-bars,  and  even  the  n)outh  of  the  Colum- 
bia is  impracticable  for  a  considerable  part  of  the  year, 
during  which  time  it  is  equally  dangerous  to  leave  it. 
In  the  year  1841,  the  U.  S.  sloop-of-war  Peacock,  be- 
longing to  the  exploring  expedition,  was  wrecked  at  tlie 
mouth  of  the  Columbia,  and  several  merchantmen  have 
also  been  lost  near  the  same  spot. 

Oregon  and  California  are  bounded  on  the  east  by  tlie 
Rocky  Mountains,  which  extend,  under  different  names, 
from  the  Arctic  Ocean  to  the  Isthmus  of  Durien,  where 
they  connect  with  the  Andes  of  South  America.  South- 
ward of  latitude  40^  north,  they  are  called  the  Anahuac 
Mountains,  and  farther  south  the  Sierra  de  los  Mimbres, 
the  Sierra  Madre,  and  the  Mexican  Cordilleras;  the 
whole  range  extends  in  a  direction  from  north-west  to 
south-east,  and  at  different  distances  from  the  coast.  In 
latitude  40°  it  is  about  750  miles  from  the  Pacific,  while 
in  54°  40'  it  is  not  more  than  half  that  distance. 

Between  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Pacific  Ocean 
both  Oregon  and  California  are  traversed  by  two,  and 
in  some  parts  three,  lofty  ridges,  which  divide  the  coun- 
try into  distinct  belts  or  regions.  Tiie  most  elevated 
portion  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  chain  is  about  the  52d 
degree  of  north  latitude.     M^unt  Brown  and   Mount 


»■ .» 


OREOON    AND    CALirORMA. 


&• 


If'ooker,  its  most  lofly  peaks,  are  respectively  16,000 
and  15,700  feet  bi<rli ;  further  southward  tlie  hijnrhest 
sumitiit  is  Fremont's  Peak,  which  is  elevated  13,570 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  This  lofly 
peak  is  called  after  the  enterprising  otficer  whose  name 
it  bears,  and  wlid  ascended  to  its  summit  August  15tli 
184^y  and  determined  its  height  and  character.  On  its 
westei^n  declivity  the  Green  River,  the  head  stream  of 
the  Coioratl©,  and  on  the  opposite  side  the  Hig  Horn 
River,  a  tribulaiy  of  tlie  Yellow  Stone,  take  their  rise. 

'In  these  mountains  many  of  the  great  rivers  of  North 
America  have  their  sources,  aqd  flow  hence  to  all 
points  of  the  compass.  Within  a  ^hoxt  distance  of  the 
South  Pass  there  rise,  on  the  eastern  side,  the  Missouri, 
the  Yellow  Stone,  the  Platte,  and  tJie  Arkansas,  tlic 
waters  of  all  of  which  are  carried  through  tlie  Missis- 
sippi into  the  Mexican  Gulf,  and  the  Rio  Grande  del 
Norte  or  Rio  Bravo,  whicli  flows  into  tlie  same  arm  of 
tbe  Altantic ;  while,  on  the  western  side,  are  found  the 
sources  of  the  Colorado,  the  Snake  or  Lewis,  the  Flat- 
head or  darkey's,  and  the  main  Columbia.  Farther 
iiorth  rise  the  Saskatchawan,  whose  waters  flow  through 
Lake  Winnipeg  into  Hudson's  Bay,  and  the  Athabasca 
and  Peace  Rivers,  head  tributaries  of  the  Mackenzie, 
which  winds  its  course  to  the  Arctic  Ocean.  ^^ 

The  wild  goat  |  (  ,  p^-:.#S^^^-^  • -^ 
and  sheep  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains 
were  long  sup- 
posed to  be  pecu- 
liar to  that  range, 
and  derived  their 
names  from  that 
circumstance ;  but 
they  are  now 
known  to  abound 
also  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada  ofCalifor-l^' 

nia,  as  well  as  in  Rocky  Mountain  Goat- 

the  cascade  range  of  Oregon.     The  first  is  as  large  as 
1  * 


r 


m 


6 


DESCRIPTION   OF 


Rocky  Mountain  Sheep. 


the  domestic  sheep,  its  fleece' hanging  down  on  tlie  sides 
like  that  of  the  Merino  breed.  The  Imir  is  long  and 
Btraight,  coarser  than  tiiat  of  the  sheep,  but  finer  than 

that  of  tiie  common 
goat.  Both  these  ani- 
mals inhabit  the  most 
lofty  peaks  of  the 
mountains,  their  range 
extending,  it  is  said, 
from  Lat.  40°  to  65°. 
The  Rocky  Mountain, 
or  big-horn  sheep,  is 
larger  than  any  do- 
mestic sheep :  the 
horns  of  the  ram  are 
immense.  The  hair  is 
like  that  of  the  reindeer ;  at  first  short,  fine,  and  flexi- 
ble ;  but  as  winter  advances,  it  becomes  coarse,  dry,  and 
brittle ;  though  it  feels  soft,  it  is  then  so  close  as  to  be- 
come erect.  These  animals  collect  in  flocks  of  from 
three  to  thirty,  the  young  rams  and  the  females  herding 
together,  r  ^''  •  the  old  rams  form  separate  flocks.  The 
horns  of  o  ms  attain  a  size  so  enormous  that  they 
effectually  prevent  the  animal  from  feeding  upon  level 
ground.  The  flesh  is  said  to  be  superior  to  any  do- 
mestic mutton. 

In  the  Rocky  Mountains  there  are  several  passages  or 
gaps,  through  which  travellers  journey  from  one  side  of 
the  continent  to  the  other ;  that  used  by  the  traders  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company  is  a  tremendous  cleft,  overhung 
by  the  loftiest  peaks  of  the  great  chain ;  it  passes  between 
Mount  Brown  and  Mount  Hooker,  both  of  which  rise 
far  above  the  inferior  limit  of  perpetual  snow,  and  pre- 
sent a  grand  and  imposing  spectacle.  Farther  to  the 
southward,  in  latitudes  46°  30'  and  44°  30',  are  the  gaps 
through  which  Lewis  and  Clarke  travelled,  in  their  jour- 
ney to  and  from  the  opposite  sides  of  the  American  con- 
tinent Still  farther  south,  is  the  "South  Pass,"  the  most 
remarkable  in  the   Rocky  Mountains,  and  one  of  the 


OREGON    AND   CALIFORNIA, 


most  noted  passes  through  a  mountain  chain  in  the 
world.  It  was  discovered  some  years  ago,  and  was  ex- 
plored and  described  by  Captain  Fremont,  U.  S.  A.,  in 
the  year  1842.  The  Soutli  Pass  is  at  the  head  of  tho 
Sweetwater,  a  tributary  of  the  Platte  or  Nebraska  river, 
and  at  the  base  of  the  Wind  River  chain  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  in  north  latitude  42°  25',  longitude  32°  10', 
west  of  Washington  City,  or  109°  10'  west  of  Green- 
wich. The  Pass  is  from  15  to  20  miles  wide,  and  so 
gradual  in  its  ascent,  from  the  plains  east  and  west  of 
it,  that  it  is  not  very  easy  to  deteimine  precisely  its  cul. 
minating  point,  and  wagons  or  travelling  vehicles  of  any 
kind  may  pass  through  with  as  much  ease  as  along  a 
level  and  beaten  road. 

The  chief  river  of  the  North- West  Territory,  is  tho 
Columbia  or  Oregon.  It  is  the  largest  American  stream 
which  flows  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Its  main  source 
is  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  about  latitude  50  deg/ees 
north,  whence  it  takes  a  course,  at  first  north-west  and 
then  south,  for  a  distance  of  875  miles  to  its  junction 
with  the  Lewis  or  Snake  river,  which  joins  it  from  the 
south-east,  a  few  miles  above  Wallawalla ;  from  hence 
to  the  ocean,  the  direction  of  the  united  stream  is  nearly 
west,  and  the  distance  350  miles.  The  chief  tribu. 
taries  of  the  northern  or  main  branch,  are  the  Flat  Bow 
or  Kootanie,  and  Clarke's  or  M'Gillivray's,  and  Okona- 
gan  rivers. 

Lewis,  Snake,  or  Saptin  river,  is  the  great  southern 
branch  of  the  Columbia ;  from  its  source  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  north  of  Fremont's  Peak,  it  has  a  course  of 
about  780  miles ;  its  rapidit  and  falls  greatly  obstruct 
canoe  navigation.  The  Kooskooskee,  Salmon,  and  other 
rivers,  both  from  the  east  and  west,  flow  into  it.  At  its 
confluence  with  the  main  stream,  the  Lewis  river  is 
600  yards  wide :  at  the  same  point  the  Columbia  has  a 
breadth  of  1000  yards :  in  the  latter,  both  above  and 
bel©w  the  junction,  there  are  many  obstructions ;  about 
180  miles  lower  down  are  the  Dalles,  where  there  is  a 
succession  of  rapids  and  falls  in  the  river  for  several 


■7 


■>■>• 


-jl^m 


DKs^CRlPTION    OF 


miles;  40  miles  below,  and  130  miles  from  tlie'sea,  are 
the  Cascades,  where  the  river  breaks  through  the  Cas- 
cade range;  its  channel  is  here  compressed  into  a  nar- 
tow  gorge,  only  150  yards  across,  and  its  waters  are 
liurried  with  great  violence  over  its  rocky  bed ;  at  the 
foot  of  the  Cascades  it  meets  the  tide,  and  thence  to  the 
sea  the  river  is  rarely  less  than  a  mile  broad ;  within 
six  or  seven  leagues  ot'the  Pacific,  it  increases  in  width 
from  two  to  four  miles,  and  at  its  mouth  its  width  is 
seven  miles. 

The  Columbia  preserves  throughout  its  character  as 
a  river,  being  rapid  in  its  current,  and  perfectly  fresh 
and  potable  to  within  a  league  of  the  ocean,  except 
during  very  dry  seasons  and  the  prevalence  of  violent 
westerly  winds.  Ships  of  300  or  400  tons  can  ascend 
nearly  to  the  foot  of  the  Cascades  ;  the  navigation,  espe- 
cially of  the  lower  part  of  the  river,  is  somewhat  dan- 
gerous, in  consequence  of  its  numerous  shoals.  The 
Columbia  and  its  tributaries  are  famous  for  their  salmon, 
which  comprise  six  different  species,  and  are  all  excel- 
lent eating;  these  fish  are  taken  in  great  numbers  by 
tJie  Indians,  as  well  as  by  the  white  settlers,  chiefly  at 
the  foot  of  the  various  falli.  and  rapids  in  the  rivers;  they 
begin  to  ascend  from  the  sea  about  the  middle  of  April, 
and  in  the  course  of  three  or  four  months  are  found  at 
the  heads  of  the  remotest  tributaries. 

A  short  distance  below  the  Cascades,  the  Willamette 
river  enters  the  Columbia  from  the  south ;  it  rises  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Cascade  range,  in  about  latitude  44° 
north,  and  has  a  course  of  about  200  miles.  In  the 
valley  of  this  stream,  nearly  all  the  American  emigrants 
are  settled;  and  at  the  falls,  15  miles  liom  its  mouth,  is 
Oregon  city,  an  American  village  of  50  or  60  houses ; 
the  country  in  the  vicinity,  and  all  along  the  coast  to 
the  southward,  presents  greater  advantages  of  soil  and 
climate  than  any  other  part  of  the  territory.  Near  the 
southern  boundary  of  Oregon,  are  the  Umpqua  and 
Klamet  rivers,  but  neither  of  them  offers  any  facilities 
for  commercial  communication ;  on  the  former,  a  few 


miles 
a  tradii 
The 
the  Ta( 
tion  n( 
Gulf  of 
and  it 
betvvec 
the  Ro 
arc  its 
various 
establij 
The 
from  tl 
Califor 
south.\ 
the  Gu 
some  d 
diitiiig 
dischai 
thus  m 
to  thos' 
which 
still  in 
Grand 
rise  wi 
the   ba 
westeri 
and  m 
of  500 
Rocky 
bres;  t 
inhabit 
except 
ascend 
some  a 
miles, 
sage  of 
The 


ORKCJOX    AND    CALIFOUMA. 


9 


m 


miles  from  its  moiilli,  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  have' 
a  tradinjr  post  or  fort. 

The  only  other  river  of  any  note  in  Oregon,  is  Frazer*s, 
the  Tacoutchcc  Tcsse  of  Maekenzie.  It  llows  in  a  direc- 
tion nearly  south  from  the  Roeky  Mountains,  into  the 
Gulf  of  Georgia ;  its  co'^rse  is  about  IM)  miles  in  length, 
and  it  drains  with  its  tributaries  nearly  all  the  country 
between  the  parallels  of  49^  and  58^ ^  and  westward  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  Thompson's  and  Stuart's  rivers 
are  its  cliief  branches ;  on  all  these  rivers  there  are 
various  trading  posts  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
established. 

The  Colorado,  or  Red  River  of  California,  so  called 
from  the  colour  of  its  waters,  is  the  principal  stream  of 
California ;  it  flows  from  the  Wind  ii'ver  chain  a  south- 
south-west  course  of  about  1100  miles,  into  the  head  of 
the  Gulf  of  California.  The  country  in  its  vicinity,  for 
some  distance  from  its  mouth,  is  flat,  and  is  overflowed 
dating  the  rainy  season,  when  the  quantity  of  water 
discharged  is  vory  great,  and  high  embankments  are 
thus  made  by  the  deposit  of  mud  on  each  side,  similar 
to  those  on  the  Lower  Mississippi,  The  region  through 
which  the  Colorado  flows  is  almost  unknown,  being 
still  in  possession  of  the  native  tribes.  Green  and 
Grand  rivers  are  the  largest  of  its  upper  branches;  both 
rise  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States — the  first  at 
the  base  of  Fremont's  Peak,  and  the  other  on  the 
western  side  of  Long's  Peak.  The  Gila,  the  largest 
and  most  southern  tributary  of  the  Colorado,  is  a  river 
of  500  miles  in  length,  and  flows  from  that  part  of  the 
Rocky  Mountain  range  called  the  Sierra  de  los  Mim* 
bres ;  the  country  on  its  banks,  both  north  and  south,  is 
inhabited  by  Indian  tribes,  of  which  nothing  is  known 
except  their  names.  How  far  the  Colorado  may  be 
ascended  by  vessels  from  the  gulf,  is  not  known  :  from 
some  accounts,  it  seems  to  be  navigable  for  300  or  400 
miles,  while,  according  to  others,  obstacles  to  the  pas- 
gage  of  vessels  occur  much  nearer  to  the  sea.  ^ 

The  other  rivers  of  California  worthy  of  note,  are  the 


10 


DESCRIPTION    OF 


Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin,  both  of  which  flow  inta 
the  Bay  of  San  Francisco,  or  Bay  of  Sir  Francis  Drake. 
The  Sacramento  rises  in  Oregon  Territory,  near  the 
sources  of  the  Fall  river,  a  branch  of  the  Columbia.  It 
flows  nearly  south,  draining  the  fine  valley  which  lies 
between  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  coast  range  of  moun- 
tains ;  after  a  course  of  400  miles,  it  enters  San  Fran- 
cisco Bay,  nearly  opposite  to  the  mouth  of  the  San 
Jouquin.  It  -s  supposed  to  be  navigable  for  vessels  of 
some  burthen  about  200  miles.  On  the  Rio  de  los 
Americanos,  (or  river  of  the  Americans,)  one  of  its 
branches,  is  Nueva  Helvetia,  a  recently  founded  Ameri- 
can settlement.  The  San  Joaquin  flows  from  the  south 
into  San  Francisco  Bay ;  it  is  a  smaller  river  than  the 
Sacramento,  and  drains  the  southern  part  of  the  same 
valley  ;  it  rises  also  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and*  is  in  ex- 
tent about  220  miles;  during  the  annual  overflow  of  the 
rivers  in  this  quarter,  it  is  connected  with  the  Tule 
lakes,  further  south,  but  at.  other  times  the  connecting 
stream  is  dried  up,  and  ceases  to  flow.  Th^  inhabitants 
on  the  banks  of  these  rivers,  except  a  few  American 
settlers  on  the  Sacramento,  are  mostly  Indians. 

The  Rio  San  Buenaventura  is  of  less  importance  than 
either  of  the  foregoing ;  it  rises  in  the  coast  range,  and 
flows  nearly  parallel  with  the  shore  of  the  Pacific,  and 
at  a  distance  of  only  30  miles  from  it.  It  has  a  north- 
west  course  of  about  130  miles,  and  falls  into  tho  Bay 
of  Monterey.  The  other  streams  along  the  sea  coast 
are  mere  rivulets,  and  the  general  infrequency  of  rivers 
and  springs  is  the  chief  defect  of  the  country,  though 
water  may  be  obtained  in  most  places  by  digging. 

The  interior  rivers  of  California  are  of  little  note,  and 
are  almost  unknown.  The  Bear  river  is  the  chief  feeder 
of  the  Great  Salt  lake,  situated  in  the  north-eastern  part 
of  California.  It  enters  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  and 
has  a  tortuous  course  of  250  or  260  miles,  chiefly  among 
high  rugged  mountains.  Sevier  river  is  a  recent  disco- 
very, and  was  first  described  by  Captain  Fremont ;  its 
precise  course  is  unknown ;  it  flows  probably  into  the 


0 


cics  o 


OREGON    AND   CALIFORNIA. 


11 


Colorado.     Mary's  river  is  described   by  emigrants  to 
California  as  flowing",  for  about  250  miles,  along  the 
northern  edge  of  the  Great  Interior  Desert,  or  Basin  of  - 
California ;  it  terminates  in  a  small  lake,  or  sink-hole, 
not  far  from  the  eastern  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

The  regions  on  the  Pacific  side  of  North  America  differ 
in  climate  from  those  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  in  the 
same  latitudes.  In  thp  countries  on  the  west  side,  of 
corresponding  parallels  with  Wisconsin,  Michigan, 
Canada,  Nova  Scotia,  and  Newfoundland,  the  ground  is 
rarely  covered  with  snow  for  more  than  three  or  four 
weeks  in  each  year,  and  it  often  remains  unfrozen 
throughout  the  winter.  In  those  opposite  to  Virginia 
and  Carolina,  the  winter  is  merely  a  wet  season,  no  rain 
falling  at  any  other  time ;  and  in  the  Californian  penin- 
sula, which  is  included  between  the  same  parallels  as 
Georgia  and  Florida,  the  temperature  is  as  high  as  in 
any  tropical  region,  and  many  years  pass  by  without  a 
shower  or  even  a  cloud. 

Two  of  the  largest  islands  of  the  north-west  coast. 
Quadra  and  Vancouver's,  and  Queen  Charlotte's,  or 
Washington  Island,  lie  off  the  coast  of  Oregon.  The 
first  named  is  280  miles  long,  with  50  of  average 
breadth,,  and  is  about  equal  in  area  to  the  states  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  Connecticut.  It  is  separated  from  the 
main  land  by  the  Gulf  of  Georgia.  The  other  is  much 
smaller  and  is  farther  from  the  continent:  it  is  180 
long  and  about  30  in  average  breadth.  It  is  probably 
about  equal  in  surface  to  the  state  of  Connecticut. 
These  two  islands,  with  those  called  Prince  of  Wales* 
and  Sitcha  Island,  with  the  many  smaller  islands  around 
them,  have  been  termed  the  North  West  Archipelago. 

The  coasts  of  the  larger  islands,  like  that  of  Oregon, 
arc  indented  with  numerous  bays  and  gulfs,  and  fringed 
with  towering  forests.  Tiie  ground  is  wholly  unculti. 
vated,  but  it  yields  spontaneously  an  abiiiidance  of  ber- 
ries, onions,  and  other  roots.  The  chief  supplies  are  de- 
rived from  the  sea,  which  abounds  with  numerous  spe- 
cies of  excellent  fisli.     Each  tribe  inhabits  a  particular 


If2 


DESCRIPTION    OF   OREGON,   &C. 


cove  or  island,  and  is  ruled  by  a  chief  who  maintains 
some  degree  of  savago  j>omp.  One  of  the  earlier  navi- 
gators  found  a  chief  occupying-  a  house,  consisting  of 
one  large  apartment,  in  which  his  whole  household  o€ 
800  persons  sat,  ate  and  slept.  The  door-posts  and  the 
rafters  were  supported  by  gigantic  wooden  images, 
rudely  carved  and  painted,  and  the  whole  apartment 
was  studiously  adorned  with  festoons  of  human  skulls* 
The  chief's  family  occupied  a  raised  platform  at  one 
end,  on  which  were  placed  chests,  containing  their  most 
valuable  effects.  Their  repasts  consisted  of  enormous 
quantities  of  blabber,  fish-oil,  and  fish-soup. 


ii  ...J 


'«• 


Man  and  Woman  of  (Quadra  and  Vancouver's  Island. 

The  people  have  the  usual  Indian  features,  with  com- 
plexions tolerably  fair;  but  tliese  they  studiously  dis- 
figure by  stripes  of  red  ochre,  and  streams  of  fish-oil, 
mingled  sometimes  with  a  species  of  glittering  black 
sand.  Some  of  the  tribes  display  extreme  ferocity,  and 
there  is  too  much  reafior  to  believe  that  they  are 
addicted  to  the  horrid  practice  of  cannibalism,  human 
lieads  and  hands  being  both  displayed  as  trophies,  and 
oflfered  for  sale.  Yet,  when  a  friendly  intercourse  was 
once  established,  their  manners  were  found  peculiarly 
mild,  courteous,  and  engaging. 


1 


p ni» '  •    '  w  >. 


OUEGON  TERRITORY. 


1, 

k 
d 
•e 
n 
id 

IS 


Oregon  is  the  name  usually  applied  to  that  part  of 
North  America  which  is  watered  chiefly  by  the  Colum- 
bia or  Oregon  river  and  ite  branches.  Its  political  boun- 
daries  have  not  as  yet  been  fixed  by  agreement  between 
the  parties  claiming  possession  of  it.  The  government 
of  the  United  States  considers  them  as  embracing  the 
whole  territory  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  from  the 
latitude  of  42  degrees  north  to  that  of  54  degrees  40 
minutes.  The  British  government  has,  however,  refused 
to  acknowledge  the  right  of  the  Americans  to  any  por- 
tion north  of  the  Columbia  river. 

This  territory  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  east  as  far 
south  as  the  49th  degree  of  latitude  by  British  America, 
and  southward  of  the  49th  degree  on  the  east  by  Mis- 
souri territory,  south  by  Mexico,  and  west  by  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  It  is  in  lengtli  about  880  miles,  with  an  average 
breadth  of  550,  and  an  area  of  420,000  square  miles.  It 
is  divided  into  three  belts  or  sections  separated  by  ranges 
of  mountains  running  very  nearly  parallel  with  the 
shores  of  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  first  or  western  sec- 
tion lies  between  the  sea  and  the  Cascade  or  Presidents 
range.  The  second  or  middle  section  is  between  the 
Cascade  and  the  Blue  Mountains.  The  third  or  eastern 
section  is  between  the  Blue  and  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
These  sections  have  a  distinction  of  soil,  climate  and 
productions;        '  . 

The  first  or  Cascade  range  of  mountains  is  contir/cous 
through  the  whole  extent  of  Oregon,  at  a  distance  of 
from  80  to  140  miles  inland  ;  some  of  its  peaks  are  from 
12,000  to  14,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea;  and  two 
of  them,  viz :  Mount  St.  Helens  and  Mount  Rainier,  are 
said  to  be  volcanoes.  They  are  all  several  tiiousand  feet 
^  (13) 


4.  i 


14 


OREGON    TERRITORY. 


above  the  line  of  perpetual  snow.  Tlie  Blue  Mountains, 
the  second  range,  are  irregular  in  their  course,  and  oc- 
casionally interrupted  by  wide  passes  or  gaps.  Their 
distance  from  the  coast  varies  from  250  to  330  miles. 
Eastward  are  the  Rocky  Mountains,  wliicli  form  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  territory.  TJie  intervening 
valley  is  rocky,  broken  and  barren,  and  but  little  suited 
for  cultivation.  Timber  is  generally  scarce  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Columbia,  but  on  the  northern  it  is  more 
plentiful.  In  its  most  elevated  districts  snow  covers  the 
ground  all  the  year.  It  rarely  rains  here,  and  no  dew 
fallso  There  is  a  great  difference  in  the  temperature 
between  the  days  and  nights,  especially  in  the  summer, 
when  the  thermometer  varies  from  30  to  50  degrees  in 
the  course  of  a  few  hours.  In  the  whole  of  this  section 
subsistence  is  difficult,  and  the  Indians  sometimes  die 
of  hunger. 

The  country  westward  of  the  Blue  Mountains  consists 
for  the  most  part  of  a  light  sandy  loam  ;  in  the  valleys  a 
rich  alluvion,  and  barren  on  the  hills.  It  is  well  adapted 
for  cattle  and  horses,  as  grass,  either  green  or  dry,  may 
bo  always  found.  Wood  is  also  scarce  in  this  section, 
except  at  some  distance  north  of  the  Columbia  river.  In 
the  coast  district  westward  of  the  Cascade  range,  (he  soil 
and  climate  are  well  suited  for  American  emigrants. 
The  valley  of  the  Willamette  is  the  finest  part  of  Oregon, 
and  is  said  to  improve  on  going  south  towards  California. 
Its  wheat  is  superior,  and  all  the  other  grains  raised  in 
the  United  States  grow  well,  except  corn,  the  growth  of 
which  is  somewhat  uncertain.  Potatoes  and  all  kinds 
of  culinary  vegetables  flourish.  It  is  also  well  wooded. 
Pine,  fir,  oak  of  different  kinds,  ash,  maple,  poplar,  <Slc., 
are  abundant. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  trees  of  this  region  is  a 
species  of  pine,  the  most  noble  of  its  genus,  and  proba- 
bly the  finest  specimen  of  American  vegetation.  It 
reaches  the  amazing  height  of  from  250  to  300  feet,  with 
a  trunk  25  to  50  feet  in  circumference.  Its  cones  are 
from  12  to  18  inches  long,  and  10  inches  in  circunifer- 


li^ 


OREGON   TERRITORY. 


15 


encc  in  the  thickest  part.  This  gig^antic  timber  renders 
the  land  on  which  it  grows  diiEcult  to  clear. 

The  climate  here  is  mild  throughout  the  year,  nei- 
ther presenting  the  severe  cold  of  winter  nor  heat  of 
summer.  The  mean  temperature  of  the  Willamette 
valley  is  about  54°  of  Fahrenheit.  The  winter  lasts 
from  December  until  February.  The  rains  begin  to 
fhll  in  November  and  continue  till  March.  Snow  also 
falls,  but  seldom  lies  bnger  than  a  few  days.  The 
nights  are  cool,  and  affect  Indian-corn  so  far  that  it 
will  not  ripen.  Fruit  trees  blossom  early  in  April  at 
Vancouver  and  Nisqually,  at  which  latter  place  peas 
were  a  foot  high  early  in  May,  strawberries  were  in  full 
blosbum,  and  salad  had  gone  to  seed. 

In  Oregon,  as  well  as  in  all  the  other  regions  over 
which  the  Hudsor's  Bay  Company  extend  their  opera- 
tions, wild  anima.s  are  becoming  scarce.  The  buffalo 
was  once  found  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Columbia, 
but  it  is  now  extinct  in  that  quarter.  The  sea  otter,  so 
valuable  for  its  fur,  was  found  not  long  since  on  the 
Columbia  river,  but  now  it  is  said  that  none  are  to  bo 
Been.     ••   :-'.".    5  .-.-  .   ..<  . 


Jl-r- 


Bears  of  three  differ- 
ent varieties  are  found  in 
Oregon,  viz :  the  grizzly, 
brown  and  black.  The 
first  is  a  most  formida- 
ble animal ;  its  strength 
and  ferocity  are  such 
that  the  hunters  use  the 
utmost  precaution  in  at- 
tacking it.  When  adult 
it  is  reported  to  attain 
sometimes  a  weight  of 
800  pounds,  and  its  strength  is  in  proportion.  The  ciibs 
of  the  grizzly  bear  can  climb  trees,  but  when  full-grown 
cannot  do  so.  The  hunter  may  thus  escape,  but  the  in- 
furiated animal  will  sometimes  keep  watch  below  and 
Confine  its  enemy  for   many  hours.    The  tlack   and 


m 


16 


OREGON   TKRRriORV. 


brown  bear  arc  not  so  ferocious ;  they  arc  nearly  of  tlie 
same  size,  but  are  only  about  half  the  weight  of  the 
grizzly  bear;  they  are  nearly  similar  in  habits;  the 
former  lives  mofe  upon  vegetable  food,  and  is  much 
esteemed  by  the  hunters  for  its  pure,  black,  well-coated 
skin. 


•IV  . 


Elk. 


^# 


The  elk  is  sometimes  met  in  Oregon,  but  is  not  so 
plentiful  as  on  the  cast  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Deer  of  three  diiFerent  species  aboiind,  the  red,  the  black- 
tailed,  and  the  common  American  kind.  The  deer  west 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains  are  more  lean,  and  the  flesh  is 
less  inviting,  than  those  on  the  other  side.  The  prong- 
horned  antelope  is  peculiar  to  Oregon,  and  is  found  on 
the  plains  of  the  Columbia.  It  frequents  open  prairies 
and  low  hills  interspersed  with  clumps  of  wood ;  but  it 
IB  not  met  with  in  any  of  the  thickly  wooded  districts. 
The  horns  from  which  the  animal  derives  its  nam^  are 
singular.  They  have  an  anterior  branch  and  a  prolonged 
posterior  point  turned  down  into  a  hook.  These  animals 
are  exceedingly  swift,  and  live  in  small  families. 

The  Big  Horn  or  Rocky  Mountain  sheep  and  Rocky 
Mountain  goat,  are  animals  peculiar  to  the  western 
continent.  They  are  found  chiefly  among  the  lofty 
inountainA,  from  which  they  derive  their  name,  and  se- 


M^ 
friJ 
noj 

pi< 

Cl 


OHEGOX   Tl^.RRITORY. 


17 


lect  the  most  rug-gcd  and  precipitous  spots  where  grass 
can  be  had.  The  habitat  of  these  animals  amons^  the 
Hocky  Mountains  is  believed  to  range  from  latitude 
40°  northward  ibr  nearly  1800  miles,  and  reaching 
from  California  nearly  to  the  Aretic  Ocean.  The  flesh 
of  both  these  animals  is  highly  prized  by  the  hunters 
as  food.  The  Big  Horn  is  also  found  in  the  Sierra 
Nevadti  of  California  and  in  the  Cascade  range  of  Ore- 
gon. Some  of  the  other  animals  found  in  Oregon  are 
the  panther,  the  tiger-cat  and  the  lynx.  The  panther  is 
but  rarely  seen  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is 
equally  ferocious  and  similar  in  its  habits  with  the  same 
species  found  in  other  parts  of  America.  There  are  also 
wolves  of  five  and  foxes  of  three  different  kinds,  besides 
the  beaver,  the  raccoon,  martin,  marmot,  Slc» 


White  Traders  and  Indians  bartering  with  each  other. 

The  Oregon  Indians  are  said  to  be  less  warlike  and 
savage  than  those  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  They  are  disposed  generally  to  cultivate 
friendly  relations  with  the  American  cettlers,  and  are 
not  averse  to  the  habits  and  pursuits  of  a  civilized  peo- 
ple. The  tribes  found  along  the  coast  are  the  Glalams, 
Chickalees,  Kilamukes,  Chinnooks,  Cowlil7:cs,,Umpquas, 
2* 


18 


OREGON   TERRITORY. 


and  some  others.  Except  a  few  individuals  living  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  American  settlements  and  the  British 
posts,  who  have  begun  to  cultivate  the  ground  to  a  small 
extent  and  to  raise  cattle,  those  tribes  derive  their  sub- 
sistence chiefly  from  hunting  and  fishing;  the  latter 
they  practise  with  some  dexterity  ;  their  boats  are  form- 
ed out  of  a  single  tree,  and  are  from  12  to  30  feet  in 
length.  Their  wealth  is  estimated  by  the  number  of 
their  wives,  slaves  and  canoes.  The  skins  and  furs 
which  they  collect  are  exchanged  with  the  traders  for 
guns,  copper  kettles,  knives,  tobacco,  and  other  articles, 
besides  blue  and  white  beads. 

These  tribes,  however  rude,  studiously  seek  to  embel- 
.  lish  their  persons,  but  in  a  most  fantastic  and  preposter- 
ous jnanner,  by  keeping  the  forehead  compressed  in 
infancy  with  boards  and  bandages,  which  causes  a 
straight  line  to  run  from  the  crown  of  the  head  to  the 
top  of  the  nose.  With  this  form,  and  with  a  thick  coat- 
ing of  grease,  a  young  female  becomes  one  of  the  most 
hideous  objects  in  existence.  Yet  when  adorned  with 
bear*s  claws,  copper  bracelets,  and  white  and  blue  beads, 
she  is  regarded  as  an  object  of  especial  attraction. 

East  of  the  Cascade  range  arc  the  Wallawallas,  Nez- 
perces,  Flatheads,  Cayuses,  Kootanies,  &.c.  These  all 
resemble  each  other  closely  in  language,  customs  and 
character,  and  are  but  remotely  connected  with  the 
lower  tribes.  Their  chief  employment  is  taking  salmon 
and  hunting.  The  latter  is,  however,  a  limited  resource, 
buffalo  being  no  longer  found  on  the  plains  of  the  Co- 
lumbia. They  have  horses  in  abundance,  and  are  good 
riders,  both  men  and  women.  The  name  of  Flatheads 
has  been  given  to  all  the  upper  tribes,  but  the  custom 
from  which  it  is  derived  is  practised  far  more  exten- 
sively among  those  on  the  coast  Immediately  after 
birth  a  bandage  is  fixed  to  the  head  of  the  infant,  where 
it  is  kept  about  a  year,  and  has  the  effect  to  flatten  the 
head  permanently.  This  practice  is  universal  among 
the  lower  tribes,  but  above  the  falls  is  restricted  to  the 
females,  and  even  with  the  latter  is  now  much  less  com- 
mon than  formrrlv.      •  .'•.:»!..-«...;> 


I 


OREGON    TERRITORY. 


19 


The  great  southern  phiin  is  inhabited  by  the  Shosho- 
nees  or  Snakes,  Boonacks,  Scc^  who  are  entirely  differ- 
ent from  the  other  tribes  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
and  appear  to  have  emigrated  from  the  valley  of  the 
Mississippi.  The  Shoshonees,  when  destitute  of  salmon  or 
other  fish,  subsist  on  the  various  roots  which  they  obtain 
by  digging,  and  are  hence  called  Diggers.  The  Indians, 
both  of  Upper  and  Lower  Oregon,  have  greatly  decreased 
in  numbers  since  Lewis  and  darkens  time,  and  some 
tribes  have  become  entirely  extinct.  In  the  year  1829, 
whole  villages  were  depopulated  by  the  fever  and  ague, 
which  appears  to  have  been  much  more  fatal  than  among 
the  whites,  and  was  rcndeied  still  more  so  by  the  un- 
skilful manner  in  which  the  Indians  treated  the  dis- 
ease. /  ^  , 


Missionary  preaching  to  the  Indians. 

Among  the  Indians  of  this  region  missionaries  of 
various  Christian  sects  have  long  been  labouring  with 
assiduity,  though  it  is  believed  as  yet  with  but  doubtful 
success.  The  Roman  Catholics  have  made  the  greatest 
dumber  of  converts,  if  the  reception  of  baptism  be  as- 
sumed as  the  test  of  conversion,  w^hole  tribes  submitting 
at  once  on  the  first  summons  to  the  rite.  The  Methodisls 


.1; 


<    —> 


20 


OREGON   TERRITORY. 


H 


and  Presbyterians  employ  themselves  chicHy  in  impart- 
ing  a  knowledge  of  the  simplest  and  most  useful  arts, 
and  have  thus  induced  some  of  the  natives  to  engage  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  The  last  mentioned  missionaries 
also  endeavour  to  convey  religious  instruction  to  them 
through  the  medium  of  their  own  languages,  into  which 
books  have  been  translated  and  printed  in  the  country. 
<  The  civilized  inhabitants  of  Oregon  consist  of  citizens 
of  the  United  States  and  th€  servants  of  the  Hudson^s 
Bay  Company.  The  latter  body  enjoys  by  special  grant 
from  the  British  government  the  use  of  all  the  territories 
claimed  by  Great  Britain  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
as  well  as  the  protection  of  British  laws  in  virtue  of  an 
act  of  Parliament;  whilst  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States,  though  now  outnumbering  the  others  in  the  pro- 
portion of  eight  or  ten  to  one,  remain  independent  of  all 
extended  authority  and  jurisdiction  whatever.  They  are 
not  subject  to  British  laws,  and  are  under  no  control, 
except  the  temporary  regulations  into  which  they  have 
entered  for  the  sake  of  local  order. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  territory,  a  country  twice  the 
extent  of  France,  do  not  probably  exceed  50,000  in  num- 
ber, of  which  40,000  may  be  Indians,  8,000  or  10,000 
Americans,  and  1,000  or  1,200  servants  of  the  Hudson's 
Bay  Company.  The  American  is  the  only  part  of  the 
population  that  is  gaining  ground,  every  succeeding 
year  adding  to  its  numbers.  Any  increase  of  the  Com- 
pany's people  is  not  likely  to  take  place,  as  their  busi- 
ness is  about  stationary,  and  has  been  so  for  some  years 
past.  7'he  Indians,  as  in  all  other  parts  of  America,  arc 
annually  becoming  smaller  and  smaller  in  number.  The 
American  citizens  in  Oregon  some  time  since  organized 
rSL  provisional  government  and  legislature,  established  a 
court,  appointed  judges  and  magistrates,  and  have  pass- 
ed various  salutary  enactments.  Among  the  latter  is 
one  prohibiting  the  manufacturing,  importing  or  selling 
spirituous  liquors  of  any  kind,  and  providing  for  the 
seizure  and  destruction  of  distillery  apparatus,  &.c.  By 
Rnother  act  it  is  provided  that  negro  slavery  siiall  not 


T 


1 


r 


OnEGON   TKRRITORK. 


21 


0 


be  permitted  to  exist  in  Oregon,  and  timt  the  owneri 
of  slaves  who  may  bring  them  into  the  country  shall  be 
allowed  two  years  to  remove  them,  and  in  default  the 
slaves  to  be  free.  The  act  also  prohibits  free  negroes  or 
mulattoes  from  settling  or  remaining  in  the  country, 
and  requires  them  to  leave  it  in  two  years. 

The  principal  American  settlement  is  Oregon  City. 
It  is  on  the  Willamette  or  Multnomah  river,  at  the  head 
of  navigation ;  and  at  the  foot  oF  the  falls,  one  of  the 
finest  water.powers  in  the  world.  It  contains  from  200 
to  300  inhabitants,  several  stores,  machine  shope,  saw 
and  grist-mills,  schools,  &.c.  It  is  situated  about  20 
miles  south  of  Fort  Vancouver,  30  miles  from  the  Co- 
lumbia river  by  the  Willamette,  and  over  100  from 
Astoria,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia.  From  the 
nearest  part  of  the  coast  it  is  distant  in  a  direct  line 
about  65  miles.  The  American  emigrants  are  nearly 
all  settled  in  the  vicinity,  and  in  tlie  valley  of  the  Wil- 
lamette. 

The  establishments  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company 
are  called  forts,  but  they  are  more  properly  trading- 
houses,  and  are  all  fortified  sufHciently  to  repel  a  sudden 
attack.  With  the  exception  of  Fort  Vancouver  they  are 
mostly  small  establishments,  containing  sometimes  only 
half  a  dozen  individuals.  They  are  the  depositaries  of 
the  goods  used  in  the  Indian  trade,  and  of  the  furs  and 
peltries  obtained  in  barter  from  the  natives.  Vancouver, 
the  largest  of  these  forts,  is  on  the  north  bank  of  tho 
Columbia  river,  120  miles  from  its  mouth ;  it  is  a  square 
picketed  enclosure,  containing  the  residences  of  the 
factors,  clerks,  &c.,  of  the  establishment,  besides  various 
stores  and  work-shops.  Near  the  fort  are  the  hospital 
and  the  dwellings  of  the  people  attached  to  it.  In  the 
vicinity  are  an  orchard,  garden,  and  a  farm  of  600 
acres.  Two  miles  lower  down  the  river  are  the  dairy 
and  piggeries,  with  numerous  herds  of  cattle  and  hogs. 
Three  m'les  above  tho  fort  are  the  water-mills  for  grind- 
ing grain  and  sawing  lumber.  The  people  attached  to 
the  establishment  number  about  700 ;  onc^half  are  In- 


oo 


OREGON    TEKIllTORV. 


dians ;  the  remainder  consists  of  British,  Canadians,  and 
half-breeds.  From  Vancouver  a  direct  trade  is  carried 
on  with  Great  Britain  and  also  with  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  which  employs  several  vessels.  A  small  steam- 
boat plies  on  the  Columbia  river  and  along  the  eoast 
between  the  different  trading  posts.  The  exports  to 
Britain  are  furs  and  peltries,  and  to  the  Sandwich  Islands 
wheat,  lumber,  salmon,  &C,  "  ,        > 

Nearly  all  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  establish- 
ments are  on  the  Columbia  and  Frazer's  Rivers  and 
their  tributaries ;  three  are  on  the  sea  coast,  and  one  is 
on  the  Umpqua,  a  few  miles  above  its  month.  Fort 
George,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia,  stands  on  the 
site  of  Astoria,  but  it  is  now  a  place  of  no  moment  or 
account 

The  coast  of  Oregon  was  first  explored  by  the  Spa- 
niards, who,  however,  did  not  penetrate  into  the  interior. 
In  1792,  captain  Gray  of  Boston  discovered  and  entered 
the  Columbia,  and  named  it  after  his  ship.  He  was  the 
first  who  established  the  fact  of  the  existence  of  this 
great  river ;  and  this  gives  to  the  United  States  the  title 
to  the  regions  drained  by  its  waters,  from  right  of  dis- 
covery. In  1803-4-5,  Messrs.  Lewis  and  Clarke  were 
sent  out  by  the  United  States'  government  for  the  pur- 
pose of  exploring  this  country.  They  navigated  the 
Missouri  river  to  its  source,  and,  crossing  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  descended  the  Columbia  to  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
They  spent  the  winter  on  its  shores.  In  the  following 
spring,  they  returned  by  the  same  river  to  the  moun- 
tains, and  thence,  down  the  Missouri,  home.  This  explo- 
ration  of  the  chief  river,  the  first  ever  made,  constitutes 
another  ground  of  claim  of  *.he  American  people  to 
Oregon.  They  have  also  strong  claims  by  the  Louisiana 
treaty  of  1803  with  France,  and  by  the  treaty  of  1819, 
by  which  Spain  relinquished  all  her  rights  on  the  Pacific 
north  of  lat,  42°,  and  which  is  considered  to  have  ex- 
tended as  far  north  as  lat.  bO°.  In  the  year  1824,  by  a 
'Convention  with  Russia,  it  was  agreed  that  the  Uiiited 
States  sliould  make  no  cstabllsiimeiits  on  the  coasta 


' 


OREGON  ti:rritouv. 


o» 


^^3 


horth  of  lat.  54°  40",  and  that  t!ic  Russians  should 
make  none  south  of  the  same  line.  This  constitutes  the 
right  by  which  the  American  government  claims  that 
particular  boundary. 

To  the  territory  of  Oregon,  therefore,  the  United 
States  have  acquired  a  very  strong  title  by  the  discovery 
of  the  principal  river,  and  by  interior  exploration,  as 
well  as  by  treaties  with  foreign  powers.  It  is,  however, 
contested  by  Great  Britain,  who  claims,  not  that  the  title 
is  in  her,  but  that  the  region  is  unappropriated  and  open 
to  the  first  comer.  She  also  contends  that  Mr.  M acken. 
zic,  a  British  subject  in  1793,  was  the  first  white  man 
who  explored  any  portion  of  Oregon  by  land;  that 
Hecetn,  a  Spanish  navigator,  and  not  captain  Gray, 
discovered  the  Columbia  river ;  tliat  the  exploration  and 
surveys  of  Cook  and  Vancouver  give  a  better  title  to 
those  parts  of  the  North  West  Coast  in  question  than 
the  claim  founded  on  Gray's  discovery  of  the  Columbia ; 
that  Spain,  in  1790,  relinquished  part  of  her  rights  on 
the  N.  W.  coast  to  her ;  that  Louisiana,  as  claimed  by 
France,  extended  no  further  westward  than  the  Rocky 
Mountains ;  and  that  the  arrangement  with  Russia  in 
1824  was  neutralized  by  a  convention  in  1825,  in  which 
the  same  parallel  of  latitude  (54°  40')  was  agreed  on  as 
the  boundary  of  the  Russian  and  British  possessions  in 
that  quarter.    '. 

By  a  convention  concluded  in  1818,  to  last  twelve 
years,  it  was  agreed  between  tlic  United  States  and 
Great  Britain,  that  neither  government  should  take 
possession  of  »t,  or  occupy  it,  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
other,  during  the  period  of  the  convention,  which  either 
party  might  renounce  upon  giving  twelve  months'  no- 
tice. This  convention  was  renewed  indefinitely  in  1827, 
or  to  cease  at  the  option  of  the  contracting  parties. 

In  April,  1846,  a  joint  resolution  passed  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States  in  the  words  following,  viz :  Re- 
solved, that  the  President  of  the  United  States  be,  and 
he  is  hereby,  authorized  at  his  discretion  to  give  to  the 
Britisli  government  the  notice  required  by 'its  second 


24 


OREGON    TERRITORY, 


I 


I 


article  for  the  abrogation  of  the  said  convention  of  tlie 
6th  of  August,  1827.  '^  v      -■   s.  .;,'„:  , 

Although  the  United  States  have  this  strong  claim 
to  the  whole  region  of  Oregon,  from  N.  lat.  42^  to  54*^ 
40',  yet  the  govern raent  has  several  times  proposed, 
from  motives  of  accommodation,  to  adopt  the  forty -ninth 
parallel  of  latitude  as  tlic  dividing  line,  with  the  free 
navigation  of  the  Columbia  river  to  the  people  of  both 
nations,  with  the  exception  that  in  the  last  proposition 
(that  was  made  by  President  Polk),  the  use  of  the  Co« 
lumbia  river  south  of  tlic  parallel  of  49*^  to  British  sub- 
jects,  is  rescinded,  and  in  lieu  thereof,  it  is  agreed  that 
Great  Britain  shall  have  any  port  or  ports  on  the  coast 
of  Quadra  and  Vancouver  Island,  south  of  lat.  49°,  she 
may  choose.  By  this  arrangement,  the  United  States 
would  relinquish  a  territory  of  about  160,000  square 
miles,  being  nearly  equal  in  extent  to  the  whole  of  the 
New  England  and  Middle  States  united. '  The  BritisU 
have,  however,  constantly  refused  to  assent  to  any  ar- 
rangement which  should  deprive  them  of  the  coast  and 
territories  north  of  the  Columbia  river.  They  propose  in 
return  the  adoption  of  the  49  th  parallel  of  latitude  west- 
ward  from  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  the  nearest  waters 
of  the  Columbia  (M'Gillivray's  river);  thence  down 
stream  to  the  ocean,  the  navigation  to  be  free  to  the 
people  of  both  nations.  In  addition,  they  offer  to  cede 
a  small  distxict,  nearly  equal  in  extent  to  the  State  of 
Connecticut,  bounded  by  the  Pacific,  the  straits  of  San 
Juan  de  Fuca,  Hood's  canal  and  Bulfindi's  or  Gray's 
harbour,  having  Cape  Flattery  for  its  north-westernmost 
point.  This  sciieme  would  divide  Oregon  into  two  very 
nearly  equal  districts  j  each  power  would  receive  about 
210,000  square  miles  of  territory. 

Several  attempts  were  made,  by  different  individuals 
from  the  United  States,  to  settle  in  this  territory.  In 
1808,  the  Missouri  Fur  Company  established  a  trading- 
house  on  Lewis's  river,  the  first  ever  formed  on  any  of 
the  waters  of  the  Columbia.  In  1810,  the  Pacific  Fur 
Company,  under  John  J.  Astor,  of  New  York,  was  form« 


0K*AiON    TERRITORY. 


25 


cd;  and  in  IBIl,  Astoria  was  established  at  the  mouth 
of  Columbia  river.  In  consequence  of  the  exposure  of 
this  post,  by  the  last  war  witli  Great  Britain,  it  was  sold 
to  the  lludson  Bay  Company;  but  was  restored  to  its 
original  proprietors,  by  order  of  the  British  government, 
at  the  close  of  the  war,  agreeably  to  the  first  articles  of 
the  treaty  of  Ghent. 

The  first  emigration  from  tlie  settled  portions  of  the 
United  States  for  the  purpose  of  occupying  any  part  of 
Oregon  territory  was  made  in  tlie  year  1832.  For  some 
years  afterwards  the  number  of  emigrants  was  limited  ;, 
but  a  better  acquain'  nee  with  the  route  and  the  proper 
mode  of  travelling  has  greatly  increased  the  desire  to 
settle  on  the  shores  of  the  Pacific.  In  1843,  not  less 
than  1000  individuals  emigrated  to  Oregon.  In  the 
foUowir.g  year  the  number  was  still  greater;  and  in 
1845,  there  passed  Fort  Laramie  for  the  Willamette  850 
men,  475  women,  and  1000  chilaren,  driving  with  them 
about  7000  head  of  cattle,  400  horses  and  mules^  and 
460  wagons. 

All  the  travelling  which  has  yet  taken  place  between 
Oregon,  California  and  the  United  States,  has  been  by 
land.  None  of  the  rivers  which  flow  from  the  Rocky 
Mountains  eastward  across  the  prairies  present  any 
favourable  facilities  for  navigation ;  and  the  same  may 
be  said  of  the  Columbia  river  and  its  branches,  except 
on  the  lower  part  of  its  course  from  Walla  walla  down- 
v/ards.  Emigrants  with  families  generally  leave  West- 
ern Missouij  early  in  April.  They  should  be  provided 
with  strong  well-made  light  wagons,  with  young  ser- 
viceable oxen,  and  ought  to  unite  in  companies  of  from 
20  to  5jO  wagons,  well  armed,  and  keeping  a  strict  watch 
after  dark  so  as  not  to  be  surprised  by  Uic  Indians*  On 
encamping  at  night  it  is  usual  to  form  either  a  circle  or 
square  with  the  wagons  by  bringing  tlicm  close  toge- 
ther, and  running  the  tongue  of  each  wagon  between 
the  hind  wheel  and  bed  of  the  one  before,  alternately 
chaining  them  together,  and  thus  forming  a  sccuro 
breastwork.  Wood  for  fires,  and  drinkable  water^  ar» 
3 


*28 


OREGON    TERRITORY. 


■n      Ml. 

li;    -H 


not  to  be  procured  in  sonic  places  cm  the  Oreg-on  route 
It  is  therefore  necessary  to  carry  a  supply  of  tlie  latter 
in  kegs  kept  for  the  purpose  on  those  parts  of  the  road 
known  to  be  deficient  in  that  indispensable  article.  This 
seldom  occurs  for  a  distance  of  more  than  20  miles  at  a 
time.    •    ',    "•     "■■■•.'■.  '    ■  '■'    -..^     '  •..  ■-*•"  ■-  '  ' 

Where  fire-wood  cannot  be  obtained,  buffalo  dung 
affords  a  substitute,  and  can  generally  be  met  with. 
Hunting  the  buffalo  or  other  game  should  not  be  de- 
pended on  to  any  extent  for  a  supply  of  food.  This 
would  retard  the  progress  of  the  journey  materially, 
and  cannot  be  relied  on  with  certainty.  Emigrants 
should  take  a  good  supply  of  flour  and  bacon,  with  tea, 
coffee,  sugar,  salt,  and  such  other  necessaries  as  they  have 
convenient  carriage  for,  besides  clothing,  boots,  shoes, 
ammunition,  &c.,  sufficient  to  last  them  through  the 
journey.  Those  who  have  the  means  will  find  it  advan- 
tageous  to  take  such  articles  for  barter  with  the  Indians 
as  they  are  known  to  prefer;  cotton  handkerchiefs, 
cheap  red  ribbons,  moccasin  awls,  small  beads  of  dif- 
ferent colours,  &c.,  will  answer  the  purpose. 

The  town  of  Independence  in  the  State  of  Missouri, 
near  the  mouth  of  Kansas  river,  is  the  usual  starting 
point  for  a  journey  to  Oregon  and  California,  as  well  as 
to  Santa  Fe  in  New  Mexico.  Tiie  route  to  Oregon  ex- 
tends about  40  miles  from  Independence  along  the  Santa 
Fe  trace,  thence  in  a  north-west  direction  to  the  Kansas 
river.  On  crossing  that  stream,  nearly  the  same  direc- 
tion is  pursued  until  reaching  the  banks  of  the  Platte  or 
Nebraska;  thence  to  the  Forks,  and  along  the  south 
Fork  of  that  river  to  the  crossing,  place,  it  is  nearly  west ; 
then  north-west  to  the  North  Fork,  up  the  latter  to  Fort 
Laramie,  west  by  north.  This  fort  is  a  fur-trading  post, 
at  the  junction  of  the  Nort!x  Fork  of  Platte  and  Laramie 
Creek,  and  near  the  entrance  of  the  Bl^ck  Hills.  It  it- 
in  the  Sioux  country,  about  700  miles  from  Indepen- 
dence, and  double  that  distance  from  Oregon  City. 

From  Fort  Laramie  the  Oregon  route  is  north-west  to 
Rock  Independence,  en  the  Sweetwater  branch  of  North 


route 

latter 

road 

This 

s  at  a 


I 


f 


OREGON  TERRITORY. 


2?.; 


Platte ;  then  due- west  to  the  Poutli  Pass  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  This  point  is  1000  miles  from  Indepen- 
dence, and  rather  more  than  half-way  to  the  Columbia 
river  at  Wallawalla.  From  the  Kansas  river  and  along 
the  Platte  to  the  crossings  of  the  South  Fork,  the  road 
is  mostly  through  the  Pawnee  country  ;  thence  to  the 
mountains  the  Sioux  will  be  met  with ;  bufFalo,  deer, 
&c.,  in  many  parts  plentiful,  and  the  Indians  will  be 
seen  from  time  to  time  in  pursuit  of  game.        ^  .  y    •  -- 


Indians  Hunting  Bufialo. 


.-.J 


From  the  Missouri  river  to  the  vicmity  of  Fort  Lara- 
mie the  soil  affords  tolerable  grazing  for  cattle  and 
horses ;  but  from  the  latter  point  to  the  South  Pass,  a 
distance  of  nearly  300  miles,  the  country  is  a  desert, 
almost  without  grass,  and  producing  little  else  than  the 
wild  sage  and  a  species  of  the  cactus  or  prickly  pear. 

The  streams  immediately  westward  of  the  South  Pass 
are  all  tributary  to  the  Colorado  or  Red  River  of  the 
west,  which  discharges  its  waters  into  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia. Farther  west  is  the  Bear  River,  the  chief  feeder  of 
the  Great  Salt  Lake.  The  latter  lies  embosomed  among 
lofly  mountains,  about  70  or  80  miles  westward  of  the 
emigrant  route.    On  leaving  the  South  Pass,  the  tra^ 


28 


ORKGON    TERRITORY. 


vellcr  pursues  a  south-west  direction  to  the  Green  river, 
the  head  branch  of  the  Colorado;  then  up  Plam  and 
Black^s  Forks  to  Bridg-cr's  Fort,  a  fur-trading  post; 
thence  to  Bear  river.  This  stream  he  follows  nearly 
northwards  to  the  Beer  or  Soda  Springs ;  and  thence  to 
the  valley  of  the  Portneuf,  down  which  he  makes  his 
way  to  Fort  Hall,  a  trading-post  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Snake  or  Lewis  river 
and  the  Portneuf.      . 

The  route  to  Fort  Hall  presents  comparatively  few 
difHculties,  and  is  traversed  every  summer  by  hundreds 
of  wagons.  The  remainder  of  the  journey  is  attended 
with  many  inconveniences,  some  arising  from  the  na- 
ture of  the  ground,  which  may  however  be  lessened  or 
removed  by  the  application  of  labour  at  certain  points  ; 
and  others  from  the  want  of  water  and  grass  for  cattle. 
Travellers  with  wagons  generally  follow  the  Snake  or 
Lewis  river  from  Fort  Hall  to  the  crossings  about  190 
miles  lower  down,  and  thence  go  northward  to  the  upper 
part  of  the  Boise  or  Reed's  river,  through  the  valley  of 
which  they  regain  the  Snake  river;  thence  pass  over 
the  country  through  the  beautiful  valley  called  the 
Grand  Ronde  to  the  confluence  of  the  Wallawalla  with 
the  main  Columbia,  almost  550  miles  from  Fort  Hall. 
Those  on  foot  or  on  horseback  find  more  direct  lines  of 
communication  between  those  two  places. 

Below  the  Wallawalla,  the  obstacles  to  the  passage 
of  wheel-carriages  are  at  present  such  as  to  preclude 
the  use  of  them  almost  entirely ;  and  the  numerous 
rapids  and  whirlpools  in  the  Columbia  render  the  voy- 
age down  to  the  Falls  of  that  river  exceedingly  danger- 
ous. Near  the  termination  of  the  Cascades  or  lower 
falls  is  Fort  Vancouver,  distant  about  250  miles  from 
Wallawalla,  and  125  from  the  Pacific.  Six  miles  below 
Vancouver  is  the  mouth  of  the  Willamette,  in  the  valley 
of  which  river  the  American  settlements  are  mostly 
Bituated.  Oregon  City,  the  principal  settlement,  is  at 
the  falls  of  Willamette,  and  about  18  miles  distant  from 
Vancouver,  90  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia, 


^'Utrtii      «     '1  ■  j  I  nil 


OREGON  TERRITORV. 


29 


en  river, 
am  and 
g  post; 
nearly 
lence  to 
kcs  his 
1*8  Bay 
^is  river 

ely  few 
indreds 
Itended 
the  na. 
ened  or 
points  ; 

cattle, 
ake  or 
>ut  190 

upper 
Iley  of 
s  over 
Jd  tJie 
a  with 

Hail, 
les  of 

issag-e 

elude 

erous 

I  voy- 

nger- 

Sower 

from 

•elow 

alley 

oslly 

is  at 

from 

kbia, 


und  2171  miles  from  Independence  by  the  travelled 
route,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  following  itinerary."  The 
jonrney  will  last,  according  to  circumstances,  from  130 
to  150  days ;  but  small  unencumbered  parties  on  horse- 
back may  accomplish  it  probably  in  about  a  month  less 
time. 

Oregon  City  is  in  latitude  45"^  20',  nearly  or  about 
the  same  parallel  as  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony,  the  City 
of  Montreal,  and  St.  Johns  in  New  Brunswick.  Its 
longitude  is  about  45^  45'  west  of  Washington,  making 
a  difference  of  3  hours  and  3  minutes  in  time ;  so  that 
when  it  is  12  o'clock  mer.  in  Washington,  it  will  want 
3  minutes  to  9  A.  M.  in  Oregon  City.  .        .^  * 

" i.  '   ■  -J  ' .  '■  ■'.''.  '     ■         .    .        ■' 

■,.:•■■  C  ■  '■•      •    ^  -    . 

Efiigrant  Route  to  Oregon^  tcith  the  distances  in  miles 
■-•    and  the  courses  pursued,  -  • 

From  Independence  to  the  crcsi;!ngs  of  Kansaa  river, 

„  S.  W.  VV.&N.W.  102 

To  Platte  River, N.  W.  223  828 

Forks  of  riatte, W  N.  W.  130  458 

Crossings  of  ih©  South  Fork,      -       -       .       -             W.    75  533 

North  Fork. N.  W.    20  553 

Scotl'8  Bluff, W.  N.  W.      75  6'<S 

Fori  Laramie, W.  N   W.     82  710 

Rock  Independence,           -       -        N.  W.  W.  &  S.  VV.  188  898 

South  Paw, W.  102  1000 

Green  River, S.  W.    70  1070 

Jiridger's  Fort, S.  &  S.  W.    59  1129 

UearKiver, N.  W.  68  1197 

Weer  or  Soda  Springs,         .       -       -       .          N.  W.  VV.  92  1289 

Fort  Hall, N.  W.  61  1350 

Fishing  or  Salmon  Falls,           -       -       -     S.  W.  &  W.  150  1500 

Crofisingsof  Lewis  River,          -       .       .       .        N.  W.    35  1535 

Do.         Uosiee    do. N.  W.    70  1605 

Fort  Bosiee, VV.  N.  VV.    45  1650 

Malheur  River, N.  N.  W.    22  1672 

Burnt        do. N.    52  1724 

Grande  Rondo  or  G'eat  Circle,         -       -          N.  N.  W.   64  1783 

Dr.  Whitman's. N.  W.    80  18o8 

Fort  Mezpcrce  oi  Wnllavvalla,         -       -         W.  N.  VV.   25  1893 

Dalles  of  the  Columbia, W.S.  VV.  158  2051 

t-'asciides.            N.W.  &W.    86  2087 

Fort  Vancouver,        -       -               -       -          VV.  W.  \V.    M  2141 

UreeonCity, -        S.    30  2171 


f 

! 

1 

1    ^3 

*■        ■  ) 

■ 

i\ 


i 


'  ♦ '  t  i ,  ♦■  '  <  ■'T 


>•  >  J 


UPPER  OR  NEW  CALIFORNIA. 


Upper  or  New  California  comprehends  that  part  of 
North  America  which  lies  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
chain  (called  here  the  Anahuac  Mountains),  and  extend- 
ing from  north  to  south  from  latitude  42°  to  latitude 
32°  north.     Within  these  limits  it  includes  the  territory 
discovered  by  Sir  Francis  Drake,  almost  three  centuries 
ago,  and  called  by  him  New  Albion.     On  the  north  it 
•is    bounded  by  Oregon,  south   by  Old   California  and 
Sonora,  west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  east  partly  by 
'  the  United  States,  and  partly  by  the  territory  of  New 
Mexico.     In  dimensions  it  is  almost  equal  to  Oregon, 
.  being  in  extent  from  north  to  south  about  700,  and  from 
east  to  west  from  600  to  800  miles,  and  having  an  area 
r  of  about  400,000  square  miles. 

Upper,  or  in  Spanish  phrase,  Alta  California,  has  long 

^  formed  the  north-western  province  of  Mexico ;  but  at 

•  length,  after  several  domestic  disturbances,  the  people 

'  have  declared  themselves  independent  of  that  power,  and 

r  will,  most  probably,  be  for  ever  separated  from  it.    The 

'  natives  dislike  the  Mexicans ;  and  that   circumstance 

"  has  given  rise  to  sun*.Ty  revolutions  in  their  govern- 

'  ment.     They  must  now  take  measures  to  become  con- 

solidatcd  into  an  independent  state,  or  be  the  subjects 

of  some  foreign  power.      Immigration  will  assist  the 

former,  while  the  attractions  of  its  magnificent  harbour 

of  San  Francisco  may,  in  a  very  few  years,  eflTect  the 

latter,  .    "  . 

Our  knowledge  of  the  geography  of  this  part  jf  the 
Western  Continent  is  still  limited,  and  a  large  portion 
of  it  is  unknown.  The  late  expedition  of  Captain  Fre- 
mont, U.  S.  Top.  En.,  has  given  a  more  exact  view  of 
the  interior  than  has  yet  been  presented.  He  has  de- 
termined  the  position  and  figure  of  its  noted  Salt  Lake, 


yy"^._  T^- 


indict 
inter  i 
hibitc 
rior 
other 
of  til 
gust, 
than 


».  ,<  IW  ■ 


lA. 


part  of 
ountain 
extend- 
latitude 
erritory 
nturics 
lorth  it 
lia  and 
.rtlyby 
of  New 
Oregon, 
id  from 
m  area 

as  long 

but  at 

people 
er,  and 
;.  The 
istance 
^overn- 
e  con- 
ibjecta 
ist  the 
arbour 
ct  the     ^a 


jf  the 
ortion 
1  Fre- 
ew  of 
as  de. 
Lake, 


tJPPEK   OR   NEW    CALIFORNIA. 


31 


indicated  the  probable  boundary  and  extent  of  its  great 
interior  desert,  explored  its  chief  mountains,  and  ex- 
hibited the  character  and  condition  of  some  of  its  inte- 
rior tribes  with  more  apparent  truthfulness  than  any 
other  traveller.  His  tour,  which  occupied  17  months 
of  time,  viz.,  from  the  month  of  May,  1843,  until  Au- 
gust, 1844,  and  extended  upwards  of  6400  miles,  more 
than  a  third  of  which  was  in  California,  is  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  and  interesting  that  has  yet  been  per- 
formed  in  America. 

A  considerable  portion  of  California  is  reported  to  oe 
a  desert,  and  unsuitable  for  cultivation ;  but  the  district 
which  extends  along  the  shores  of  the  Pacific,  as  far 
inland  as  the  Sierra  Nevada,  is  known  to  be  well  calcu- 
lated for  settlement,  and  will  doubtless,  at  no  distant 
period,  contain  a  large  population.  The  first  ridge  of 
hills  met  with,  on  passing  inland  from  the  sea,  is  the 
Coast  Range,  a  continuation  of  the  central  chain  of 
Lower  California ;  further  inland,  is  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
or  Snowy  Range,  which  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of 
the  finer  portion  of  the  territory,  and  separates  the  ma- 
ritime district  from  the  interior  desert.  ?,  ,.  .  -     x  ., 

The  Sierra  Nevada  and  tlie  Coast  Range  run  nearly 
in  the  direction  of  the  sea-shore ;  the  first  at  a  distance 
from  the  Pacific,  varying  from  100  to  200  miles,  and 
the  other  at  from  40  to  60  miles.  The  valley  interposed 
between  them  is  the  finest  part  of  California  ;  it  is  not 
less  than  500  miles  in  length,  and  from  60  to  140  wide. 
The  Sierra  Nevada,  or  Snowy  Range  of  California,  is 
reported  by  Captain  Fremont  to  be  of  greater  height 
than  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  is  all  the  time  covered 
with  snow.  The  pass  by  which  that  intrepid  ofiicer 
crossed  the  Sierra  was  9338  feet  above  the  sea,  and  the 
mountains  on  either  hand  rose  several  thousand  feet 
higher.  The  Coast  Range  is  of  less  elevation  than  the 
Sierra  Nevada ;  some  of  its  peaks  are,  however,  covered 
with  snow.  Mount  Sau  Benardin  and  Mpunt  Shaste 
are  the  highest.        .       -     i  \  ^        -^ 

The  Sierra  Nevada  I)as  been  hitherto  very  imperfectly 


'^ 


I 


I    1 


tl 


]\ 


9J^ 

K9/V 


UPPER    OR    NtW    CALIFORNIA. 


I 


represented  on  maps.  For  its  true  position  the  world  jsi  Jjcai 
indebted  to  Captain  Fremont,  who  travelled  along  its^plor* 
case  for  1000  miles,  during  tlie  winter  of  1843-44,  firsts  |,le 
for  half  that  distance  on  the  eastern,  and  the  remainder^  leric 
on  the  western  side.  Tlie  Indians  on  the  former  side*  Tl 
of  the  Sierra  are  adepts  in  using  snow-shoes,  on  whichj  Lakl 
they  pursue  their  excursions  along  the  snowy  and  frozen)  loryl 
sides  of  the  mountains.  The  Sierra  Nevada  is  remark.,  of  ai 
able  for  a  new  species  of  pine,  which  has  been  called^  iron 
the  nut-pine;  it  produces  an  oily  and  pleasant-tasted i  oftl] 
nut,  which  forms  an  important  part  of  the  winter  storey  muc 
of  the  almost  famished  inhabitants  of  these  r-egions.;  plorl 
The  Big-Horn,  or  mountain  sheep,  and  the  Grizzly  Sear,  figu 
both  inhabit  the  Sierra,  and  the  latter  is  probably  the  •  ucci 

nog 
LaU 
vici 
inai 
dou 
on 
be  I 
lake 
Mo 
cov 
ridj 
larj 
of 
reg 
to 
I    tar 
'    Tl 
Si( 
foi 
ail 
ai 

SI] 

ai 
til 
c< 


J/.  -  Grizzly  Bear.  .^        ..;,. 

northernmost  range  of  that  animal.  In  its  descent  to 
the  level  country,  tlie  grizzly  bear  is  sometimes  met  with 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  towns  on  the  coast,  terrifying  the 
inhabitants,  and  occasionally  carrying  off  a  sheep,  a 
calf,  or  an  ox. 

The  chief  mountains  of  Upper  California,  on  the 
eastern  frontier,  are  the  Sierra  Anahuac,  the  Sierra  los 
Mimbres,  and  the  Sierra  Madre.  Tiiese  all  form  a 
continuous  chain,  and  are  a  part  of  the  great  Rocky 
Mountain  range.  They  separate  the  waters  of  the  Colo- 
rado from  those  of  the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte.     The 


1 


■^Agtrr;. 


lA. 

I  the  world  jsf 
ed  alonff  its* 
«43-44,  firslj 
le  remainderi 

former  side< 
es,  on  whiehi 
y  and  frozen) 
li  is  remark. 

been  calJed 
asant-tasledi 
winter  store , 
3se  r-egfions.; 
rrizzly  Sear,; 
robably  the^ 


l^'PKR    OR    M:W    CALli'onMA. 


''\i 


Ofi 


descent  to  I 
s  met  with 
ifying  the 
3.  sheep,  a 

a,  on  the 
Sierra  los 
II  form  a 
at  Rocky 
'theCok)- 
■te.     The 


IJcar  River  and  Wahsatch  MoutjlMins  were  recently  cx- 
])lored  by  Captain  Fremont ;  they  are  both  of  considera- 
ble  elevation,  and  form  the  eastern  rim  of  the  Great  In- 
terior Basin. 

The  chief  lake  of  Upper  California  is  the  Great  Salt 
Lake,  which  lies  in  the  northern  extremity  of  the  terri- 
tory, and  about  70  miles  south  of  Lewis  River.  It  is 
of  an  irregular  figure,  not  less  than  90  miles  long,  and 
irom  30  to  40  wide ;  the  surface  is  4000  feet  above  that 
of  the  ocean ;  it  has  no  visible  outlet,  and  its  waters  are 
nmch  Salter  than  those  of  the  sea.  This  lake  was  ex- 
plored by  Captain  Fremont,  in  the  year  1843,  when  its 
figure  and  position  were  determined  with  much  more 
accuracy  than  before.  It  is  doubtless  the  Lake  Timpa- 
iiogos  of  the  Spanish  maps,  and  has  been  also  known  as 
Lake  Bonneville,  and  Lake  Youta.  The  country  in  the 
vicinity  of  its  eastern  border  is  reported  as  being,  in 
many  parts,  iiivourable  for  settlement,  and  the  lake  will 
doubtless  be,  at  some  future  period,  of  vast  importance, 
on  account  of  the  boundless  quantity  of  salt  that  may 
be  made  from  it.  Utah,  a  much  smaller,  but  fresh-water 
lake,  flows  into  the  Great  Salt  Lake  from  the  south. 
Mountain,  Pyramid,  and  Mud  Lakes,  were  recently  dis- 
covered by  Captain  Fremont,  and  lie  among  the  lofty 
ridges  of  the  Sierra  Nevada :  they  contain  a  species  of 
large  and  fine  flavoured  salmon-trout.  From  the  surface 
of  Pyramid  Lake  a  singular  shaped  rock,  nearly  as 
regular  in  form  as  the  famed  pyramids  of  Egypt,  rises 
to  the  height  of  600  feet :  it  is  visible  many  miles  dis- 
tant, and  from  it  the  lake  received  its  name.  The  two 
Tule,  or  Bulrush  Lakes,  lie  in  the  valley  between  the 
Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Coast  Range  Mountains,  and  are 
formed  by  the  waters  which  flow  in  them.  The  lower 
and  largest  lake  is  probably  about  80  miles  in  length, 
and  from  12  to  15  in  width.  The  upper  lake  is  much 
smaller.  During  the  spring  months,  when  these  lakes 
are  filled  to  overflowing,  their  waters  find  a  passage  into 
the  River  Sun  Joaquin,  but  at  other  times  the  connection 
ccasei:. 


34 


ITl'HR  OR   NEW    CALIFOKMA. 


lit 


1    t 


I 

T 


Nearly  the  whole  of  the  central  part  of  this  region 
extending  from  400  to  500  miles  from  north  to  south, 
and  about  the  same  from  east  to  west,  is  unexplored.  It 
has  been  called  by  Captain  Fremont,  the  "Great  Inte- 
rior Basin  of  California.**  On  the  west  it  is  enclosed 
by  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  on  the  east  by  the  Bear  River 
and  Wahsatch  Mountains.  It  is  generally  represented 
as  a  sandy  desert,  but  it  is  known  to  contain,  in  sc^u 
quarters,  various  rivers  and  lakes,  none  of  whose  waters 
reach  the  ocean.  The  mountains  by  which  the  whole  is 
surrounded  prevent  their  egress,  and  the  surplus  is  no 
doubt  absorbed  by  evaporation,  or  lost  in  the  sands  of 
the  more  arid  districts.  The  population  consists  of  a 
few  wandering  savages,  who  live  chiefly  on  insects  and 
seeds,  and  on  the  roots  which  they  dig  out  of  the  earth ; 
hence  their  name  of  *••  Diggers."  The  rabbit  is  the 
largest  animal  known  here ;  it  supplies  a  little  flesli, 
and  its  skin  furnishes  the  scanty  raiment  of  the  almost 
naked  inhabitants.  The  wild  sage  is  the  only  wood  ;  it 
grows  of  large  size,  being  oAen  a  foot  in  diameter,  and 
from  six  to  eight  feet  high.  It  serves  for  fuel,  for  shelter 
to  the  rabbits,  and  for  some  sort  of  covering  for  the  feet 
and  legs  of  the  miserable  inhabitants  in  cold  weather. 
It  is  also  the  material  of  which  they  construct  their 
diminutive  wigwams.* 

The  tract  along  the  southern  edge  of  this  desert  re- 
gion travelled  by  the  late  exploring  party,  was  found 
frequently  marked  by  the  skeletons  of  horses  that  had 
perished  for  want  of  water;  and  for  several  hundred 
miles  the  surface  of  the  country  seemed  more  like  an 
Arabian  desert  than  a  portion  of  North  America. 

Wild  animals  are,  in  some  parts  of  Upper  California, 

*  By  information  received  from  Captain  Fremont,  since  he 
entered  California  on  his  second  tour  of  exploration,  1845-4G,  it 
appears  that  he  has  crossed  the  Great  Interior  Basin,  or  Desert, 
and  found  it  to  he  unjch  less  sterile  and  unforbidding  in  charac- 
ter than  he  was  at  first  led  to  believe.  He  has  also  discovered  a 
practicable  direct  pass  through  the  moijtnain  to  California,  that 
will  greatly  shorten  the  distance,  and  lesson  the  fatigues  of  the 
emigrants  to  that  country;  but  the  particulars  are  not  yet 
known. 


ver] 
ligc 
con 
par 
Riv 
anc 
rep 
Baj 


r>fe:>i. 


UlTKR   Oil    NEW    CALUOKMA. 


U5 


reg-ion 
0  south, 
ored.  It 
at  In  te- 
en closed 
ar  River 
resented 

waters 
ivhole  is 
IS  is  no 
ands  of 
sts  of  a 
Jcts  and 
3  earth ; 

is  the 
e  flesJi, 
almost 
^ood ;  it 
ter,  and 
shelter 
the  feet 
weather. 
i  their 

peri  re- 
found 
at  had 
iindred 
ike  an 

fornia, 

nee  he 
5-46,  it 
Desert, 
3haraft. 
I'ereiJ  a 
a, that 
of  the 
ot  yet 


very  numerous.  The  butfulo,  panther,  or  American 
liger,  deer,  and  several  other  species  of  quadrupeds,  are 
common.  The  beaver  abound  in  many  of  the  streams, 
particularly  on  the  upper  tributaries  of  the  Colorado 
River;  but  tliey  are  much  sought  after  for  tlic'r  skins, 
and  are  less  numerous  than  formerly.  The  rabl)it  is 
reported  as  the  only  animal  to  be  found  in  the  Great 
Basin. 


.  I.- 


'  /.    :        .  —     '    '      .  -•    Wild  Horse.        •      ,^  '  •       •  -; 

Coptain  Fremont  encountered,  in  his  late  journey 
through  the  valley  of  the  San  Joaquin,  large  droves  of 
elk  and  wild  horses,  also  wolves 
and  antelopes.  He  ascertain- 
ed, also,  that  the  Big  Horn,  or 
Mountain  Sheep,  and  the  Griz- 
zly Bear,  are  met  with  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  as  well  as 
among  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  birds  of  California  arc 

generally  similar  to  those  of    -X 

the  United  States.     One  of  the  ^ 

most  remarkable  of  its   land   ^ 

birds,  is  the  great  Californian  ^ 

Vulture.     It  builds  its  nest  in   »'^. 

tlie   loftiest  pine-trees  amonff     *'^,  ....  ,,  ,. 

*u      ^        A   '  ta.  •     !>  A        Calitoriuau  Vulture, 

tne   mountains.     It  is  from  4 

to  4i  feet  long,  and  its  quills  arc  so  large  as  to  be  used 


86 


uiTi:ii  cR  m:w  cali forma. 


■  ] 


by  tliu  liuntcrs  us  tubes  for  tobacco-pipes.  Tlic  i'ood  of 
tliis  species  is  carrion,  or  dead  fish,  for  in  no  instance 
will  they  attack  any  living  animal,  unless  it  be  wounded 
or  unable  to  walk.  In  searching  lor  prey,  they  soar  to 
a  great  heiglit,  and  on  discovering  a  wounded  deer,  or 
other  animal,  they  follow  its  track  until  it  sinks.  AU 
though  only  one  bird  may  be  first  in  possession,  it  is 
soon  surrounded  by  great  numbers,  who  all  fall  upon  the 
carcass,  and  devour  it  to  a  skeleton  within  an  hour, 
even  though  it  be  a  horse  or  a  stag. 

The  wheat  of  California  is  of  excellent  quality ;  and,  ex- 
cept in  years  when  drought  prevails,  the  product  is  very 
abundant.  Indian  corn  yields  well,  also  potatoes,  beans, 
peas,  &c.  The  soil  is  well  adapted  for  grapes ;  from 
4JU00  to  4000  gallons  of  wine  are  made,  and  about  the 
same  amount  of  brandy ;  this,  however,  is  quite  insuf!i< 
cient  for  the  supply  of  the  country,  and  large  an^ounts 
of  foreign  wines  and  liquors  are  imported. 

The  wealth  of  this  part  of  the  continent  consists  of 
live  stock.  Besides  large  herds  of  cattle;  sheep,  horses, 
mules,  goats,  and  swine  abound.  The  mutton  is  of  fine 
flavour,  but  the  wool  is  inferior,  as  no  attention 
is  paid  to  that  kind  of  stock.  The  chief  articles  of 
export  are  hides  and  tallow:  about  150,000  of  the  former, 
and  200,000  arrobas  of  the  latter  are  exported  annually. 
About  2000  beaver,  3000  elk  and  deer,  and  400  or  500 
sea-otter  skins,  the  latter  worth  30  doK-xrs  a-piece,  are 
also  exported  ;  besides  which,  about  12,000  bushels  of 
wheat  are  shipped  annually  to  the  Russian  settlcmeuta 
on  the  Northwest  Coast. 

At  the  missions,  coarse  blankets  and  wearing  apparel 
for  the  Indians  are  manufactured,  besides  a  small 
amount  of  soap  and  leather.  There  are  in  the  country 
only  two  or  three  water-mills  for  grinding  wheat,  which 
are  owned  by  Americans. 

The  inhabitants  of  California  consist  of  whites,  halfl 
breeds,  and  Indians,  and  are  of  very  limited  amount  for 
the  extent  of  country  they  occupy.  Estimates  of  their 
number  are  usually  made  in  reference  to  those  occupy- 


I      f 


rPPF.R    OR    XnW    CALirORMA, 


a? 


mg  tlie  settlements  along  the  coast,  and  tlic  country 
lying  between  the  Pacific  and  the  Sic;rra  Nevada.  Tlie 
remainder  of  the  territory  is  so  vaguely  knovi^n  that  no 
estimate,  even  of  the  probable  number,  could  be  relied 
on.  Within  the  limits  above  specified,  the  Aborigines 
are  estimated  at  12,000,  one  half  being  converted  In- 
dians ;  the  remainder  reside  mostly  on  the  Sacramento 
River,  and  on  the  coast.  The  whites  amount  to  about 
8000,  and  the  half-breeds  to  2000,  making  the  whole 
population  about  22,000  souls. 

The  white  population  consists  of  Californians  and 
Americans ;  the  former  are  similar  to  the  inh.ibitants 
of  the  other  parts  of  Mexico,  who  are  of  Spanish  origin. 
'J 'hey  are  much  addicted  to  gambling;  are  proud  and 
indolent,  and  look  upon  all  manual  labour  as  degrading. 
Games  of  cards  and  dice  are  equally  in  favour  with 
men  and  women.  Cock-fighting,  bull  and  bear-baiting, 
and  dancing,  are  the  chief  amusements.  The  women 
seldom  receive  any  kind  of  education,  and  are  conse- 
quently very  ignorant,  and  are  the  slaves  of  their  hus- 
bands. They  dress  expensively  where  they  have  the 
means ;  are  tbnd  of  gaudy  colours,  and  wear  a  profu- 
sion of  jewelry.  The  females  of  the  better-  class  are 
often  very  handsome;  engaging  and  amiable  in  their 
manners,  and  have,  in  some  instances,  become  the  wives 
of  Americans  and  other  foreigners. 

The  people  of  California  have  horses  in  abundance, 
and  are  all  fearless  and  expert  riders ;  and  in  this 
respect  the  women  are  almost  equal  with  the  men. 
The  latter  use  the  lasso  with  great  skill ;  and  with  it 
they  catch  wild  cattle  and  horses  very  dexterously. 

The  number  of  American  citizens  in  Upper  California 
is  already  considerable,  and  is  daily  increasing,  particu- 
larly in  the  region  lying  north  of  the  Bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, formerly  occupied  to  some  extent  by  the  Russians. 
Some  are  engaged  in  farming,  some  in  trade,  others  are 
building  ships,  houses,  mills,  &,c.  Their  superior  enter- 
prise and  industry  have  already  placed  nearly  all  of 
them  in  comfortable  circumstances,  and  should  they 
^  4 


1 


n 


f 


38 


rPPER    OR    NEW    CALirORXIA. 


I 


! 


' 


I 


continue  to  emigrate  to  any  extent,  will,  in  a  short  time, 
materially  improve  the  eondition  of  the  country.  The 
Americans  seem  to  be  on  very  g"ood  terms  with  the 
Californians,  and  have  hitherto  given  themsjlves  but 
little  concern  about  the  Mexican  government;  of  the 
unfriendly  feeling  of  which  towards  them,  they  have 
been  often  reminded  by  the  decrees  passed  from  time  to 
lime  for  their  expulsion.  These  decrees  the  different 
governors  of  the  territory  have  contented  themselves 
with  merely  proclaiming,  as  it  would  be  sheer  folly  to 
attempt  enforcing  them,  whilst  the  Californians  are 
obliged  to  depend  almost  wholly  on  tl«j  Americans  to 
buppress  the  incursions  of  the  predatory  Indians. 

The  aborigines  of  Upper  California  are  for  the  most 
part  indolent  and  pusillanimous,  and  destitute  of  the 
boldness  and  energy  displayed  by  many  of  their  race  in 
other  quarters.  Kxecpting  those  that  have  been  con- 
verted in  the  missions,  the  women  go  nearly  and  the 
men  entirely  naked.  They  are  filthy  in  their  habits 
live  in  small  miserable  wigwams  built  of  rushes,  of 
which  they  also  construct  their  rafts,  and  what  clothing 
they  use.  In  their  primitive  state  they  have  no  agri- 
culture, but  subsist  on  wild  herbs,  seeds,  which  the 
women  collect  and  grind  into  a  meal,  also  on  fish,  the 
shell-fish  on  the  shores,  the  products  of  the  cliuse,  and 
whales'  flesh  and  blubber,  whenever  that  animal  is  cast 
on  the  coast,  an  event  which  occasions  great  rejoicings. 

The  Pah  Utah  Indians,  who  inhabit  the  interior  along 
the  south  edge  of  the  Great  Desert,  live  mostly  by  plun- 
der and  robbery ;  their  arms  are  long  bows  and  arrows ; 
the  latter  are  pointed  with  a  very  hard  stone,  a  species 
of  opal,  and  are  almost  as  effective  as  a  rifle  or  musket- 
ball.  They  cflen  make  incursions  into  the  coast-settle- 
ments and  commit  grievous  depredations;  the  horses 
and  mules  which  they  capture  are  driven  to  their  retreats 
in  the  mountains,  and  are  immediately  slaughtered  for 
food.  In  traversing  their  country.  Captain  Fremont  and 
his  followers  were  obliged  to  use  the  utmost  vigilance  to 
prevent  a  surprise,  and  one  of  hi-s  best  men  was  killed 


i:ppeu  or  new  California. 


39 


line, 
The 
the 
but 
the 
lave 
e  to 
rent 
Ives 

r  to 

are 
i  to 


by  them.  These  Indians  constantly  dogged  the  party, 
watchtiig  for  an  opportunity  to  make  an  attack,  and  a 
Htray  horse  or  mule  was  taken  ofT  in  a  moment. 

The  Utah  Indians  are  found  farther  east,  partly  in 
California,  and  partly  in  New  Mexico ;  tliey  have  fre- 
quent intercourse  with  the  people  of  the  latter  country, 
and  are  less  savag-e  in  their  habits.  They  have  horses  in 
abundance,  are  skilful  riders,  and  have  often  good  rifl'^s. 
These  Indians  arc  robbers  of  a  higher  order  tiian  those 
of  the  desert.  7'hey  conduct  their  depredations  witii 
form,  and  under  the  colour  of  trade,  and  as  a  toll  ior 
passing  thro'igh  their  country.  Instead  of  attacking 
and  killing,  they  affect  to  purchase,  taking  the  horses, 
&.C.,  they  like,  and  giving  something  nominal  in  return. 

In  the  southern  part  of  tlie  territory,  and  on  both 
sides  of  the  Colorado  River,  there  are  various  tribes,  tlie 
Mohahves,  Apaches,  Moquis,  or  Monquis,  Juma^f,  &c^ 
of  which  we  know  little  except  the  names.  Captain 
Fremont  met  with  a  few  individuals  of  the  Mohahve  or 
AjTiachuba  tribe;  they  were  armed  with  bows  of  unu- 
smtl  length,  and  had  large  gourds,  strengthened  u  ith 
meshes  of  cord,  in  which  they  carried  water.  lie 
learned  that  (he  tribe  raise  melons  o'!' various  kinds,  and 
tliat  individuals  sometimes  crosa  the  intcrvenino'  desert 
to  trade  with  the  Sierra  Indians,  bringing  blankets  and 
other  artieiee  that  arc  made  by  the  Moquis  and  some  of 
the  neighbouring  tribes. 

Under  the  Mexican  rule,  Alta^  or  Nueva  California^ 
occupied  the  space  of  the  old  Spanish  Intendencia  of  the 
same  uame.  It  laid  on  the  Pacific  Ocean,  bounded  by 
Oreg<»n  <m  ti\e  nortli,  the  42^  north  latitude  dividing  the 
two  territories ;  on  the  south  by  Vieja  California  ;  on  tho 
cast  by  the  liocky  Mountains,  which  divide  it  from 
New  Mexico,  Sonora,  etc.,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Pa- 
cific.  The  strip  of  country  on  the  Pacific  is  about  700 
miles  in  length,  and  125  in  breadth,  and  is  the  only  fer- 
tile  portion  of  the  country.  Discovered  by  one  of  tho 
oonapanions  of  Cortez,  California  yet  remained  for  a  long 
time  uninhabited,   except   by   the   Indian    aborigines. 


40 


UPPKT?    OR    NKW    CALTFORMA. 


This  might,  have  bren  expected,  frojii  the  iminonse 
wealth  of  Mexico  and  of  Peru,  whicli  was  more  easily 
to  be  seized  by  force,  tlmn  tlie  mineral  wealth  of  Cali- 
fornia to  be  acquired  by  patience  and  labour. 

No  country  in  the  world  exhibits  so  great  a  diversity 
of  soil  and  climate  as  California,  tiie  loveliest  and  best 
portio!»s  of  which  do  not  lie  upon  the  sea-coast,  which, 
from  the  southern  boundary  to  Cape  Mendocino,  in  lati- 
tude 40^^,  is  occupied  by  a  high,  broken  ridge,  reaching 
twenty  miles  into  the  interior.  Between  tiiis  range  and 
a  loflier  one,  known  as  the  Sierra,  is  the  valley  of  San 
Juan.  Beyond  this,  eastward,  is  another  valley,  through 
which  runs  the  Sacramento,  reaching  as  flir  as  Monro 
Bcrnadino,  which,  in  another  portion  of  the  territory,  ij< 
known  as  the  Buena  Ventura.  Farther  back,  is  liic 
continuation  of  the  Cascade  Range  of  Oregon.  Beyond 
these  are  vast,  sandy  plains,  where  none  but  an  Indi  >  \ 
can  exist. 

In  all  the  world  there  is  no  lietter  harbour  than  San 
Francisco,  on  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  a  great  land- 
locked sound,  about  twenty  miles  south  of  Sd'^  north. 
This  sound  is  formed  by  the  debouchment  of  the  great- 
est rivers  of  California,  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joachin, 
one  flowing  south  from  the  vicinity  of  Mount  Shaste,  in 
latitude  41^,  and  the  other  from  Lake  Chintuche,  about 
36°  30'  north  latitude,  of  which  it  is  the  outlet.  The 
valleys  of  these  rivers  are  the  great  gardens  of  Califor- 
nia, producing  the  fruits  of  both  tropical  and  temperate 
climates.  In  the  southern  portion  of  this  valley  is  col- 
lected a  dense  population  of  Indians,  the  descendants  of 
the  old  inhabitants  of  the  missions.  These  rivers,  about 
sixty  miles  from  the  sea,  unite,  and  then  wind  through 
a  vast  swamp  of  heavy  timber,  forming  a  Dcedalian 
mystery  of  channels,  in  which,  it  is  said,  more  than  one 
traveller  has  lost  his  way  for  ever.  Lower  down,  the 
varioup  channels  unite  in  one  broad  bay,  on  the  waters 
of  which  i^  the  town  of  San  Francisco.  There  is  a  pe- 
culiarity in  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide  of  this  bay, 
which  is  worthy  of  considt-ration.     It  suftires  by  ita 


UPPER    on    IVnW    (.'ALirOT??TTA. 


41 


own  force  to  bring  a  vpssel  in  front  of  llir  ano]»orajEfe, 
and  to  carry  ,:  out,  witiiout  aid  or  assistance  from  either 
sails  or  oars.  No  better  harbour  is  known  in  the  world, 
and  at  some  day,  it  must  become  the  great  depot  of  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  one  of  the  great  cities  of  the  nation. 
The  name  of  San  Francisco  is  old,  having  been  recently 
driven  out  by  Yerba  Bucna.  This  name  means  good 
grasSy  and  is  evidently  the  translation  of  some  old  Indian 
appellation;  and  as  such  WwS  this  great  harbour  known, 
both  by  the  people  with  whom  Lieut.-Col.  Fremont  and 
Major  Emory  met.  This  is  also  the  name  applied  to  it 
by  the  late  General  Kearny,  in  his  official  letters  and 
communications.  In  spite  of  many  flattering  accounts, 
the  site  of  this  town  is  not  prepossessing,  the  houses 
being  built  on  the  sea-shore,  between  the  water  aiid  a 
ridge  of  low  sand  hills.  There  is  little  variation  in  the 
range  of  the  thermometer,  throughout  the  year,  and  the 
atmosphere,  though  regularly  dry,  is  not  chilly.  Of 
all  the  places  on  the  Pacific,  Yerba  Buena^  or  San  Fran- 
cisco, is  probably  the  most  healthy,  never  having  been 
visited  by  that  scourge  of  all  of  the  Spanish-American 
ports,  the  vomito,  and  having  no  disease  incident  to  its 
location  but  a  remittent  fever  of  very  mild  type.  This 
town  was  laid  out  in  1839,  by  a  person  named  Viogt, 
and,  in  spite  of  ail  the  troubles,  rapidly  increased  in  size 
and  importance.  When  Mr.  Bryant  wrote  his  valuable 
book,  "  What  I  saw  in  California,"  it  numbered  some 
hundred  inhabitants.  Since  the  immense  'migration 
tuither,  in  consequence  of  the  discovery  of  gold,  this 
;ii'V)ber  has  been  greatly  increased,  so  that  this  beauti- 
V  port  may  undoubtedly  be  esteemed  a  city. 
'1  jiere  are  other  points  which  also  present  many  ad- 
vantages as  sites  for  a  city.  Among  these  is  Sausilita, 
distant  from  Yerba  Buena  about  two  Spanish  leguas^ 
or  seven  miles.  It  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay, 
and  has  long  been  the  watering-place  of  the  American 
whalemen.  In  the  course  of  time,  as  the  country  be- 
comes settled,  ana  its  fiicilities  for  commerce  are  un- 
4  *  ' 


I 


I  i' 


''1 

i!l 


i  \l 


42 


UPPEX    OR    NKW    CALIFORXIA. 


I 


i; 


I  ^ 


ibidcd,  these  two  ports  will  be  substantially  united  iuto 
one,  as  are  the  many  cities  on  the  bay  of  New  York. 

Just  one  degree  south  of  the  bay  of  San  Francisco  is 
the  bay  of  Monterey,  formed  by  tlie  debouchment  of  tiie 
Buena  Ventura.  On  this  bay  is  tlie  city  of  Monterey, 
the  old  capital  and  seat  of  the  governnjent  during  the 
Mexican  rule.  There  also  were  the  heiid-quarters  and 
the  seat  of  the  government,  anterior  to  the  gold  excite- 
ment. It  was  a  thriving  town,  of  about  1000  inhabit- 
ants; but  recently  has,  as  accounts  state,  been  almost 
deserted.  The  defences  of  this  port  were  once  formida- 
ble, but  suffered  much  from  decay  during  the  Mexican 
regime.  Since  the  substitution,  however,  of  the  United 
States*  for  th  vM  flag,  they  have  again  put  on  much  of 
the  pomp  ano  ^r  of  war.     One  hundred  miies  far- 

ther soutli,  is  tlte  ,;ity  of  **  the  Angels,*'  for  the  posses- 
{<ion  of  which  several  stern  conflicts  occurred  during  tlio 
Mexican  war.  Santa  Barbara  was  once  also  a  place  of 
importance,  and  was  situated  on  the  extremity  of  the 
channel  of  the  same  name,  not  far  from  Monterey.  It 
has  now  dwindled  into  insignifieance.  A  glance  at  the 
map  of  California  will  show  a  multitude  of  names,  each 
with  the  prefix  of  San  or  Santa  to  it.  They  are 
most  imposing  on  the  map,  but,  like  San  Diego  and  San 
Pascual,  have  dwindled  away  into  mere  names,  for 
which  there  is  no  colour  of  reality,  except  a  few  crumb- 
ling ruins  of  adobe,  or  unburncd  brick,  which  were  once 
the  seats  of  the  Jesuit  missions.  Around  these  are  the 
huts  of  the  Ini.lans,  miserable  and  squalid,  looking  more 
like  the  lairs  of  beasts  than  the  habitations  of  men. 

Far  up  in  California  is  a  region  which  possessed,  long 
before  the  discovery  of  gold,  many  attractions  to  tiie 
American  settlers,  who  had  crowded  thither  so  rapidly, 
that  the  stream  itself  took  its  name  from  them,  being 
called  el  rio  de  loe  Americanos,  or  American  River.  On 
this  point  a  very  remarkable  man  established  himself. 
This  person  was  Captain  Sutter,  a  Swiss  by  birth,  and  one 
of  the  captains  of  the  famous  guards  of  Charles  X.,  who 
served  tiiatSmfortunate  monarch  so  gallantly,  when  he 


*i 


UPPER    OR    NEW    CALIFORNIA. 


43 


was  forced  to  abdicate.  A  refugee,  he  came  to  Ame- 
rica, and,  after  establishing  himself  temporarily  ut  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  or  in  its  vicinity,  went  to  Californit^,  where 
lie  took  up  his  abode  on  a  magnificent  tract  of  land, 
granted  to  him  by  the  Mexican  government.  This  was 
abou'  1840,  for  in  1842  Cuptain  Fremont  found  him 
well  established.  Following  the  examples  of  the  Jesuits, 
he  sought  to  avail  himself  of  the  labour  of  the  Indians, 
and  had  admirable  success.  All  his  works  had  been 
constructed  by  Indian  hands,  and  were  in  good  order 
and  condition.  Not  long  afterwards,  the  Russian  Fur 
Company  being  about  to  abandon  their  factories  at  Ross 
and  at  Bodega,  he  purchased  their  stock,  transportation, 
ordnance,  etc.,  and  built  his  fort,  a  strong  work,  mount- 
ing twelve  guns,  and  capable  of  containing  one  thousand 
men.  Around  Captain  Sutter  are  many  other  settlers, 
principally  Americans,  all  of  whom  were  thriving  agri- 
culturists. Since  the  discovery  of  gold  in  their  neigh- 
bourhood, on  the  Rio  de  Jos  plumas^  and  elsewhere,  they 
must  have  become  wealthy,  even  if  they  had  no  other 
resource  than  the  high  prices  of  their  agricultural  pro- 
ducts, created  by  the  immense  emigration.  The  name 
of  the  settlement  of  Captain  Sutter  is  Nueva  Helvetia, 

At  last,  however,  an  immense  discovery  was  made, 
which  was  reported  to  the  government  of  the  United 
States  officially,  by  Mr.  Larkin,  naval  agent  of  the  Uni- 
ted States  for  the  port  of  San  Francisco.  It  seems  that 
in  digging  a  mill-race,  on  the  Feather  River,  a  vast  de- 
posit of  auriferous  sand  was  discovered,  called  in  the 
technical  language  of  mining,  a  placer.  So  rich  was 
this,  that  at  a  depth  of  only  eighteen  inches  from  the 
surface,  with  no  utensils  or  machinery  other  than  a 
shovel  and  a  shallow  dish,  quantities  of  golden  sand, 
equal  in  amount  to  two  ounces,  and  sometimes  far  more, 
per  diem,  were  extracted  by  a  single  individual.  At  as 
early  a  date  as  June  1, 1848,  Mr.  Larkin  estimated  that 
$20,000  worth  of  gold  dust  had  already  been  bartered 
away.  At  once  San  Francisco  was  deserted,  and  the 
majority  of  the  population  hurried  to  the  mines ;  and 


■j^*^ 


1  PrKn    OR    NF.W    CALIFORNIA. 


labour  incroasrcl  so  innrh  in  value,  Ifiat  an  ordinary 
ship's  cook,  who  at  sea  had  served  for  twelve  dolhirs  per 
month,  refused  fifteen  dollars  a  day,  and  labourers  who 
received  five  dollars  a  day,  struck  for  higher  wages,  and 
hurried  to  the  mines.  Sailors  left  the  merchant  service 
in  bodies,  and  even  the  stringent  discipline  of  the  army 
could  not  retain  the  enlisted  men  true  to  their  colours. 
The  price  of  a  shovel  was  fifty  dollars.  The  printers 
employed  in  setting  up  for  the  press  the  code  of  laws 
prepared  by  Col.  Mason,  the  commandant  and  governor, 
stopped  work,  with  one  exception.  The  mass  of  the 
gold  was  in  small  grains,  but  Mr.  Larkin  reported  that 
he  saw  masses  of  ore  weighing  many  ounces. 

In  a  short  time  the  price  of  the  gold  began  to  dimi- 
nish ;  and  in  his  second  letter,  dated  June  ^8,  Mr.  Lar- 
kin reports  that  gold  was  offered  for  merchandise  at 
fourteen  dollars  per  ounce,  A  rude  machine,  similar  to 
a  child's  cradle  in  appearance,  was  contrived.  In  this, 
earth  was  thrown  to  the  depth  of  a  couple  of  inches,  and 
water  made  to  pass  over  it  until  the  non-metallic  p:irti- 
cles  had  disappeared.  Six  men,  working  two  of  these 
machines,  in  one  day  made  $300,  and  this  was  consi- 
dered n.  fair  average.  The  plank  necessary  to  construct 
one  of  these  machines  was  worth  $500,  cau  the  carpen- 
ter employed  to  make  it  demanded  $50  per  day.  In  a 
short  time,  at  Feather  and  Copimes  Rivers,  two  thou- 
sand persons  were  collected,  the  aggregate  product  of  the 
labour  of  whom  was  to  be  estimated  at  $10,000  per  day. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  these  data  are  derived,  not 
from  a  gossiping  letter,  but  from  the  official  reports  of  a 
public  officer,  and  therefore  are  to  be  believed. 

The  first  discoverers  of  this  immense  deposit  of  wealth, 
were  a  party  of  Mormons,  who  long  kept  it  a  secret,  ex- 
cept from  persons  of  their  own  communion,  and  thereby, 
in  all  probability,  obtained  vast  wealth.  Operations,  it 
has  however  been  ascertained,  were  first  commenced  in 
May  or  June,  1848.  Vast  as  are  the  profits  of  opera 
tions  so  far,  no  idea  can  be  formed  of  that  likely  to 
accrue,  when  a  more  pfirfect  sysieui  shall  have  been 


I'l'l'KK    OK    NKW    CALIFOENIA. 


45 


■  ^ 


adopted.  It  is  inost  probable  that  the  greater  portion 
of  the  gold  taken  from  the  water  is  washed  again 
into  the  stream.  Nothing  of  this  kind  can  happen 
under  a  good  system  of  operations,  w^here  every  grain 
should  be  saved.  How  much  is  thus  lost  may  be  realised 
from  the  ascertained  fact,  that  a  portion  of  the  earth  re- 
jected as  valueless,  having  been  by  some  shrewd  person 
secured  in  bottles,  and  sent  to  the  United  States  mint, 
was  found  to  yield  about  five  cents  per  bottle.  The 
gold-bearing  country  was  found  to  be  far  wider  than  at 
first  was  estimated,  extending  to  the  Yerba,  Gossamer, 
and  other  streams  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Rio  de  los 
Americanos.  It  has  been  found  in  dry  ravines ;  and 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Colton,  well  known  as  an  author,  states 
that  a  large  party  set  out  to  thread  the  course  of  the 
Sacramento,  with  the  expectation  of  finding,  somewhere 
near  Mount  Shaste,  on  exhaustlcss  bed  of  virgin  gold — 
a  delusion  only  less  likely  to  prove  true,  than  the  fancy 
which  led  Raleigh  and  his  companions  to  seek  an  El 
Dorado  in  the  country  of  the  Amazon. 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  Jesuits  were  aware 
of  the  existence  of  gold  in  California  ;  but  those  shrewd 
and  learned  observers  obtained  possession  of  the  country 
at  the  time  that  the  evils  of  the  Spanish  colonial  system 
were  becoming  evident,  and  directed  the  objects  of  their 
cares  rather  to  turn  their  attention  to  agricultural  and 
pastoral  industry,  than  to  precarious  mining  operations. 
It  is  however  most  likely  that  they  never  were  aware 
of  the  immense  wealth  which  lay  at  their  door,  or  cupi- 
dity would  have  triumphed  over  ideal  systems.  At  pre- 
sent all  other  industry  has  been  abandoned,  so  that  other 
mineral  resources,  which  elsewhere  would  be  considered 
the  realisation  of  dreams  of  Ophir,  are  neglected.  There 
are  also  silver  mines,  and  vast  beds  of  the  oxide  of  mer- 
cury, yielding  the  precious  quicksilver  by  the  applica- 
tion of  heat  alone.  In  close  neighbourhood  to  the  Ame- 
rican River  are  valuable  beds  of  iron  ore,  yielding,  it  is 
said,  eighty-five  per  centum— a  valuable  discovery,  less 
only  in  importance  than  that  of  gold.     The  absence  of 


u 


ns 


40 


uriM:i;  ou  ^EW  califouma. 


,1 


J..  I 


r 
r 


{ 


' 


i 


this  humbler  mineral  has  loiitr  kept  Mexico  behind  the 
rest  of  the  world  in  arts  and  manutuctures. 

The  Rio  de  los  Americanos,  up  to  the  gold  placer,  is 
a  broad,  deep  stream,  now  navigable  by  batteaux,  and 
capable  doubtless  of  yet  greater  improvement.  It  affords 
many  mill  sites,  and  possesses  a  water  power  second  to 
none  in  the  world.  What  the  Andes  are  to  South  Ame- 
rica the  Sierra  Nevada  is  to  the  western  portion  of  our 
territory,  and  the  last  is  not  less  rich  in  mineral  depo- 
sits than  the  first.  All  the  inexhaustible  wealth  of  gold, 
silver,  iron,  etc.,  is  taken  from  a  granite  mass,  not  infe- 
rior, for  building,  to  any  known.  The  population  of  San 
Francisco  was  all  amazed ;  yet,  in  spite  of  the  vast 
amount  of  minerals  extracted  from  the  earth,  it  did  not 
become  rich.  Tlie  old  fable  of  Midas  was  revived — all 
things  were  turned  into  gold  ;  and  tlie  necessities  of  life 
could  only  be  purchased  by  gold.  Bread  was  increased 
in  price  Ibrty  ibid,  and  other  articles  bore  a  yet  higher 
price  in  proportion. 

At  last  the  higliest  authority  in  the  country  was  forced 
to  take  notice  of  tlic  state  of  things,  and  wrote  to  the 
secretary  of  war,  August  17,  1848.  lie  described  the 
whole  country  as  being  emptied  of  its  inhabitants ;  cat- 
tle as  being  unherded,  houses  locked  up,  and  mills  un- 
occupied. At  Sutter's  Fort,  however,  the  scene  changed 
— the  whole  activity  of  the  country  being  concentrated 
at  this  point.  The  valuable  improvements  of  Captain 
Sutter  were  suspended,  he  being  able  to  employ  only 
two  mechanics,  one  of  them  a  blacksmith  and  an- 
other  a  wagon-maker,  to  whom  he  paid  ^'en  dollars  a 
day.  The  operation  of  gold-washing  was;  described  by 
Col.  Mason,  as  in  the  preceding  pages.  It  consisted 
simply  of  throwing  the  earth  in  the  cradle,  which  was 
covered  with  wicker-work,  agitating  the  rude  machine, 
upon  which  water  was  tlirown.  This  left  the  gold  min- 
gled with  a  fino  black  sand,  which,  until  recently,  has 
been  thrown  away ;  though  it  now  is  discovered  to  be 
valuable,  paying  a  sum  amply  reimbursing  labour. 
Tile  letter  of  Col.  Mason  thus  describes  the  gold :  "  It  is 


Vi'VEH    Oil    NEW    CALIFORNIA. 


47 


in  fine  gold  scales,"  {^pe-ikiii^  of  the  ore  obtained  froin 
ilic  works  of  Mr.  Marshall,  a  little  distance  from  Captain 
Sutter :  "  This  gold,  too,  is  in  scales  a  little  coarser  than 
those  of  the  lower  mines,  A  great  deal  of  coarse  gold 
has  been  found.  *  *  *  A  great  many  specimens  were 
pliown  me,  some  as  heavv  as  four  or  five  ounces  in 
weight.  *  *  *  You  will  perceive  that  some  of  the  speci- 
mens accompanying  this,  hold  mechanically  pieces  of 
quartz ;  thut  the  surface  is  rough,  and  evidently  moulded 
in  the  rocks.  This  gold  cannot  have  been  carried  far 
by  water,  but  must  have  remained  near  where  it  was 
first  deposited  from  the  rock  that  once  bound  it.  I  in- 
quired  of  many  people  if  they  had  encountered  the  metal 
in  its  matrix,  but  in  every  instance  they  said  that  they 
had  not,  but  that  the  gold  was  invariably  mixed  vvitli 
washed  gravel,  or  lodged  in  the  crevices  of  other  rocks. 
All  stated  that  they  had  found  gold,  in  greater  or  less 
quantities,  in  the  numerous  small  ravines  or  gullies  of 
that  mountainous  region."  This  is  a  general  descrip- 
tion of  all  the  gold  washings  of  the  country,  situation 
but  slightly  modifying  the  method  of  operation.  It  will 
be  seen  that  it  is  almost  identical  with  the  method  pur- 
liued  in  Brazil,  and  in  Siberia,  at  first,  before  a  scientific 
process  had  been  adopted. 

At  length  vast  quantities  were  sent  to  the  United 
States,  and  assayed  by  the  ofllicers  of  the  United  States, 
and  by  men  of  science.  All  concurred  in  representing 
it  as  unusually  rich,  and  but  slightly  below  the  standard 
fmeness  of  coin,  which  is  90.0.  Valuable  as  the  gold 
deposits,  however,  must  be,  shrewd  observers  have 
tiiought  that  it  is  of  far  less  importance  than  arc  the 
immense  beds  of  oxide  of  mercury,  near  Sutter's  Fort. 
For  all  ages  to  come,  money  will  be  computed  in  Ame- 
1  ica  by  a  silver  unit  instead  of  a  golden  one,  or  eagles 
will  be  reckoned  as  the  representatives  of  ten  dollars, 
rather  than  a  dollar  as  the  equivalent  of  one-tenth  of  an 
eagle.  So  long  as  this  is  the  case,  the  commerce  of  the 
world  will  be  regulated  by  a  silver  standard.  Now 
silver  can  most  properly  be  made  merchantable  by  the 


AS 


urrEii  OK  m:\v  calhok.nia. 


n  i '. 


I  I 


uye  of  quicksilver,  the  furuishinjur  of  which  has  ulw.iys 
been  a  monopoly  in  a  few  hands.  The  vast  quantities 
in  California,  it  is  not  unlikely,  will  place  the  control 
with  the  United  States,  and  make  the  great  rrines  now 
worked  by  the  Rothschilds,  near  Madrid,  and  those  of 
the  Carpathian  mountains,  the  labour  in  which  has  been 
inlcrrupted  by  the  Hungarian  troubles,  merely  subsidiary 
to  tlie  Californian  mines. 

The  Jesuits  were  long  ago  aware  of  these  quicksilver 
mines;  but  the  Spanish  crown  owning  all  similar  works 
in  Spain,  they  were  sure  they  would  not  be  permitted 
to  work  them,  and  therefore  kept  the  discovery  a  secret. 
Tlicy  often,  however,  sent  valuable  collections  of  agates 
and  emeralds  to  Europe,  and  in  almost  every  ccmvent  of 
the  brothers  of  Jesus,  is  some  wonderful  casket  adorned 
with  gems  derived  from  this  far-away  land.  Every 
hunter  and  engage  of  the  fur  companies,  tells  the  story 
of  some  wonderful  valley,  on  the  summit  of  the  hills, 
surrounding  which  are  masj;es  of  precious  stones,  which 
glitter  in  the  sun.  There  is  in  Lower  California,  or  in 
the  country  south  of  the  line  reaching  from  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Gila  with  the  Pacific,  a  pearl  fishery  of  many 
liundred  miles^  length,  which  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe,  extends  as  far  north  as  the  bay  of  San  Fran- 
cisco, in  the  waters  of  which  valuable  pearls  and  oysters 
liave  frequently  been  found.  Men  will,  however,  scarcely 
dive  into  the  depths  of  the  sea  in  search  of  precarious 
fortune,  when  patient  toil  and  industry  on  land  will 
yield  them  an  ample  supply  of  the  metal  which  is  the 
synonyme  of  power.  ,    .,    ^.      .__■.■  -  ;.    '    -.. 

Though  in  the  preceding  pages  reference  has  fre- 
quently been  made  to  the  history  of  California,  a  brief 
yet  succinct  account  may  not  be  uninteresting  or  irrele- 
vant. California  was  first  discovered  by  a  portion  of 
that  adventurous  band  which  landed  with  De  Soto  on 
the  coast  of  Florida,  and  marched  from  thence  through 
tlie  intricacies  of  the  Alleghany,  across  the  Mississippi 
to  the  coast  of  Cubican,  in  Sonora.  The  leader  of  the 
remnant  of  this  party  of  ad\eiiturers  was  Panfilo  de 


Ni 


UPPER    OU    \EW    CALIFOKNIA, 


49 


Kiirvaez,  who,  probably  from  some  pliysiciil  deformity, 
was  known  as  Cabexa  de  Vaca,  or  Cow's  Head.  While 
in  that  far-ofT  land,  De  Vaca  heard  the  story  of  the  vast 
wealth  of  a  country  yet  beyond,  and  sent  a  detachment 
of  his  three  hundred  men  as  far  probably  as  the  mouth 
of  the  Colorado.  He  strangely  enough  lived  to  return 
to  Cuba,  and  told  in  the  old  city  of  Ysybel  marvellous 
tales,  which  not  only  were  believed  by  all  the  people  of 
Spain  and  her  dominions,  but  the  old  soldier  was  abused 
because  he  did  not  tell  enoug^h — ^just  as  Mr.  Polk  and 
his  cabinet  are  charged  with  having  suppressed  informa- 
tion, because  what  they  report  as  facts  does  not  satisfy 
the  cupidity  of  the  country.  Cabcza  de  Vaca't  stories 
are,  however,  wonderful  enough. 

What  the  soldier  did  not  do,  however,  another  person 
was  found  to  effect.  Marcos  de  Nizza,  a  missionary,  sent 
out  at  the  request  of  the  government,  to  convert  the  In- 
dians,  went  far  beyond  the  coast  of  California,  He  gra- 
tified and  satisfied  even  Spanish  cupidity  by  a  picture  of 
a  highly-cultivated  people,  quite  the  equals  of  Monteczu- 
mas'  Indians ;  and  told  wonderful  tales  of  the  cities  of 
Cibola,  eight  in  number,  with  houses  o^  four  stories,  and 
doors,  like  **  those  of  the  Arabs  and  Moors  of  Morocco 
and  Grenada."  For  a  long  time  no  one  believed  this, 
but  not  long  ago.  Major  Emory,  of  the  U.  S.  topographical 
engineers,  found  the  ruins  of  one  of  these  cities,  and  has 
presented  in  his  book  a  pictorial  representation  of  them. 
One  folly  led  to  another.  Wliile  half  of  Spain  was  un- 
cultivated,  new  expeditions  were  sent  out,  and  Vasquez 
de  Coronado  added  something  to  the  wonderful  stories 
about  Califomia.  On  his  return  there  was  another  story 
current,  of  a  great  kingdom  of  Tata  rax,  and  a  city  of 
Quivira,  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Tegnago,  now  identified 
as  Lake  Utah.  Strangely  enough,  ruins  are  yet  in  ex- 
istence on  this  lake  which  do  give  a  faint  colour  to  thia 
relation.  There  were,  however,  some  wise  people  who 
thought  that  Coronado,  who  had  but  recently  married  a 
young  and  pretty  wife,  was  anxious  to  return  home, 
shrank  from  danger,  and  did  not  accomplish  half  he 
5 


r>o 


UrPER    OR    NEW    CALIFORXIA. 


might  have  done.  His  return,  therefore,  added  to  the 
fury,  because  the  less  a  country  is  known  tlie  more  will- 
ingly do  people  place  confidence  in  all  kinds  of  stories 
relating  to  it ;  and  people  of  old  were  quite  as  credulous 
about  Californian  gol()  as  are  the  adventurous  portion 
of  the  community  at  the  present  day.  >.    •  ^  »     »  • 

Something  of  this  spiri*  of  exaggeration  yet  adheres 
to  all  relating  to  Mexico  and  California.  The  old  monks 
would  call  a  few  miserable  huts,  and  a  hovel  over  which 
was  placed  a  cross,  a  prosperous  city  ;  precisely  as  the 
map-makers  and  alcaldes  call  a  half-dozen  lodges  a  capi« 
tal.  This  is  the  case  with  California,  where  a  population 
of  less  than  twenty -five  thousand  is  strewn  over  a  country 
large  as  the  German  Empire ;  where  there  is  a  city  for 
every  saint,  and  not  a  single  manufacturer  of  the  article 
for  which  the  people  had  most  need,  bridle-bits,  in  the 
whole  region.  Long  before  the  overland  discovery  of 
California,  many  voyages  had  been  made  in  the  Pacific  ; 
and  afler  the  partial  exploration  of  the  country,  the  idea 
of  a  passage  between  the  Pacific  and  Atla'  'c,  led  many 
navigators  to  the  latter  ocean.  The  brill  temptation 
held  out  to  English  cruisers  by  the  exposed  condition 
of  the  Mexican  and  Peruvian  ports,  also  led  thither, 
among  others.  Sir  Francis  Drake,  who  at  an  early  date 
entered  the  present  bay  of  San  Francisco.  As  early  as 
1541,  just  fifly  years  afler  the  discovery  of  Guanhani, 
by  Columbus,  Ulloa,  in  an  expedition  authorized  by 
Cortez,  proved  California  to  be  a  peninsula  of  the  Ame- 
rican continent,  and  not  an  island.  In  spite  of  this,  as 
late  as  the  time  of  Charles  II.,  California  was  set  down 
in  charts  as  Islas  Carolinas,  The  pearl  fishermen  from 
the  Pacific  coast  of  Mexico  visited  it  frequently,  until 
finally  Sebastian  Vizcaino  took  formal  possession.  About 
sixty  years  afterwards,  the  Jesuits  established  themselves 
■in  Lower  California.  Tlte  most  interesting  portion  of 
the  history  of  the  country  begins  here.  Some  years 
later,  the  order  extended  themselves  into  Upper  Califor- 
nia, where  they  had  to  contend  with  the  brothers  of  the 
order  of  Saint  Francis.    The  astute  men,  however^  who 


■4 


frrrn  on  new  camforjiia. 


51 


f 

4 

I 


had  ruled  so  lon^  the  courts  of  princes,  did  not  here  find 
ll)cniselvc3  at  fault;  and  thougli  brouj^ht  into  contact 
with  the  most  stupid  of  all  the  American  tribes,  con- 
trived to  overcome  their  innate  perversity  and  brutality. 
For  a  long"  time  the  fathers  were  without  any  military 
guard,  and  experienced  much  hardship.  Things  at  last 
changed,  and  as  tlicir  services  came  to  be  appreciated, 
not  only  the  spiritual  government  of  California  was  con- 
fided to  them,  but  also  civil  power ;  and  finally  the  mili- 
tary commandant  was  made  their  subordinate,  and  re- 
quired to  obey  the  orders  of  the  father  president. 

The  whole  Californian  gulf,  and  the  ocean  beyond  thfe 
peninsula,  was,  between  1797  and  1721,  surveyed  and 
explored  by  fatliers  Kuhn,  Salvatierra,  and  Ugarte.  The 
accuracy  of  Castillo's  old  charts,  which  represented  Ca- 
lifornia as-a  peninsula,  was  then  recognised.  The  power 
of  the  Jesuits  increased  until  1760,  at  which  time  they 
were  masters  of  sixteen  chief  missions,  and  more  than 
forty  dependent  stations.  The  opposition  which  the 
Jesuits  ever  opposed  to  the  influence  of  the  various 
camarillas^  or  kitchen-cabinets  of  the  Spanish  courts, 
caused  their  ultimate  expulsion  from  all  the  dominions 
of  Spain,  when  California  became  the  feud  of  the  Fran- 
ciscans and  monks  of  Saint  Dominic  of  Mexico,  under 
the  influence  of  whom  the  prosperity  of  the  country  be- 
gan  to  decay.  For  this  there  was  iv  reason.  The  whole 
of  the  territory  of  Mexico  was  immediately  subject,  not 
to  the  pope,  but  to  the  royal  audience  of  the  Indians,  the 
supreme  court  of  appeal  in  civil  as  well  as  religious 
questions.  This  grand  corporation,  consequently,  was 
all  powerful,  and  all  persons  pandered  to  it.  California 
alone  was  exempt  from  its  authority,  and,  under  the  in 
fluence  of  the  grand  company  of  Loyola,  improved,  while 
the  Franciscans  and  Dominicans  ruined  Mexico.  When 
the  two  last  obtained  possession  of  California,  it  also 
suff^ered.  Ultimately  the  Mexican  revolution  occurred^ 
and  California  became  a  portion  of  the  new  republic. 
In  gaining  this  position,  California  has  played  a  part 
too  insignificant  to  find  a  record  in  any  history,  and  we 


52 


UPPER    OR    NEW    CALIFORNIA. 


may  well  pass  over  all  the  petty  cabals  and  collisions 
until  a  later  period,  marking  only  the  one  important 
change  which  almost  made  California  a  wilderness. 
The  missions  had  been  confided  to  Franciscans  and 
Dominicans,  who,  though  not  equ;:!  to  their  predeces* 
sors,  were  yet  in  the  main  praiseworthy  men,  and  some, 
thing  like  government  was  kept  up ;  but  soon  after  the 
revolution,  all  the  property  of  the  missions  was  seques- 
tered, and  the  monks  were  allowed  only  a  pittance  of 
their  former  revenues.  Things  daily  became  worse  and 
worse,  until  finally  the  monks  lefl  CJifornia,  one  por- 
tion of  them  going  to  Europe  to  the  general  of  their 
order,  and  tl.e  others  to  Mexico,  where,  lost  amid  tiie 
crowds  of  claimants  on  that  nation,  they  in  vain  sought 
some  farther  indemnity  for  the  great  injustice  perpe- 
trated on  them.  :     . 

From  time  to  time  various  foreigners  had  settled  in 
the  country,  the  industry  and  activity  of  whom  had  ex- 
cited the  envy  and  jealousy  of  the  Califbrnians,  who, 
though  brave,  were  idle  and  proud.  The  majority  of 
these  were  citizens  of  the  United  States,  who  had  come 
into  the  country  across  the  prairie  or  desert,  or  descended 
along  the  Cascade  Range  into  the  fastnesses  of  the 
California  Range,  a  continuation  of  the  first-named 
mountains,  which  is  the  back  bone  of  the  habitable  or 
arable  portion  of  California.  These  men,  among  the 
most  energetic  of  their  country,  soon  began  to  interfere 
in  politics,  and,  supporting  the  party  of  a  person  named 
Aivarado,  succeeded  in  placing  him  in  power,  where  he 
remained  until  1840,  when  Aivarado,  ungrateful  to  his 
friendu,  determined  to  expel  all  foreigners  by  force. 
They  were  seized  under  circumstances  of  great  cruelty, 
many  killed,  and  marched  to  Monterey,  whence  they 
were  sent  to  Tepic.  All  their  property  was  confiscated, 
and  few  or  none  of  the  Americans  were  suffered  to 
return. 

Many  other  misfortunes  befel  California,  not  the  least 
of  which  was  the  small-pox,  which  swept  off  hordes  of 
the  Indians  around  the  missions.    The  wild  tribes  also 


UPPER    OR    NEW    CALirOKrflA. 


53 


ftttackcd  the  Spanish  licrdsmen,  or  rancheros.  Some 
little  prosperity  yet  however  lingered  in  Culifornia. 
7'his,  however,  was  confined  to  the  settlements  around 
Sutter*8  establishment,  and  the  villages,  which,  protected 
by  foreign  flags,  had  grown  up  around  the  Russian  fac. 
tories  at  Ross  and  Bodega,  and  the  post  of  the  Hudson*8 
Bay  Company. 

These  factories  were  mere  trading  establishments, 
which  were  considered  to  confer  no  t^arritorial  rights, 
more  than  similar  establishments  do  in  the  remote  coun. 
tries  of  the  east.  They  were  always  considered  as  ex- 
isting by  permission,  not  by  right.  * 

The  only  other  portion  of  the  history  of  California  which 
need  detain  us  until  we  come  to  the  war  with  Mexico, 
was  the  occupation  of  the  port  of  Monterey  by  Com.  T. 
Ap  C.  Jones,  of  the  U.  S.  navy,  in  1842.  This  gentle- 
man, then  in  command  of  the  naval  force  of  the  United 
States  in  the  Pacific,  learned,  while  on  the  coast  of  Peru, 
that  the  British  government  had  purchased  from  Gen. 
Santa  Anna  the  whole  of  California,  and  that  a  fleet  was 
then  in  rendezvous  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  under  com. 
mand  of  Admiral  Lord  George  Paulet,  to  occupy  the 
country.  Under  these  circumstances,  Com.  Jones  im- 
mediately seized  the  port  of  Monterey,  to  make  any  in- 
structions which  might  have  been  sent  the  English  ad- 
miral abortive.  Whether  the  sale  was  effected  or  not, 
it  was  never  carried  into  effect,  and  Monterey  was  re- 
turned to  the  Mexican  authorities.  There  is  little  doubt 
that  the  American  minister  at  Mexico  was  duped  by  the 
British  plenipotentiary,  who  foresaw  the  action  of  the 
United  States  in  the  premises,  and  thereby  wished  to 
establish  a  precedent  to  ju  tify  the  occupation  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  which  was  soon  after  done.  The 
universal  censure  of  the  whole  world  on  this  act  of  the 
English,  and  the  seizure  of  Tahiti  by  the  French,  who 
did  not  at  once  restore  what  they  had  taken  wljen  they 
saw  they  had  no  justification  for  retaining  it,  was  loud 
and  earnest,  and  all  parties  were  forced  finally  to  placo 
things  in  statu  nut.  The  course  of  Com.  Jones  was 
5* 


54 


UrrER    OK    NEW    CALIFOEMA. 


probably  in  obedience  to  orders  of  the  government,  for 
he  is  a  most  prudent  officer,  jearned  not  only  in  his  pro- 
fession,  but  in  other  matters.  Though  recalled  by  the 
secretary  of  the  navy,  he  was  immediately  placed  on 
high  and  important  duty,  and  at  this  time  commands 
tl)e  American  squadron  in  the  Pacific. 

One  of  the  first  things  resolved  on  by  the  United 
States  afler  the  commencement  of  the  Mexican  war, 
was  the  occupation  of  California ;  and  at  an  early  day. 
May  13,  1846,  instructions  were  sent  to  Com.  Sloat,  of 
the  navy,  to  occupy  the  country  in  case  of  war.  On 
May  16,  1846,  these  orders  were  repeated,  specifying 
tJie  occupation  of  Monterey,  and  Mazatlan,  and  San 
Francisco. 

Stephen  W.  Kearny,  colonel  of  dragoons,  and  one  of 
tlie  best  officers  in  any  country,  was  ordered  to  occupy 
California,  after  he  should  have  obtained  possession  of 
New  Mexico,  by  a  land  expedition.  These  two  series 
of  orders  were  the  commencement  of  tiie  official  con- 
nection of  the  United  States  with  California.  The  last 
of  these  orders  was  dated  June  3,  1846.  In  1845,  the 
population  of  California,  exclusive  of  Indians,  was  esti- 
mated at  about  10,000  persons,  one-half  of  whom  were 
not  of  Spanish  descent,  and  were,  of  course,  dissatisfied 
with  the  government.  Headed  by  Pico  and  others,  these 
deposed  the  governor,  and  Pico  obtained  the  com- 
mand. Early  in  1846,  an  order  was  issued  by  Castro, 
the  military  commandant,  to  remove  the  horses,  and 
other  public  property,  from  San  Rafael  to  Santa  Clara. 
The  cfiicui"  'iharged  with  this  order,  on  the  route  learned 
thp.t  a  party  of  Americans,  headed  by  Captain  Fremont, 
U.  S.  corps  of  topographical  engineers,  was  busy  in  sur- 
veying the  Buttes,  seventy  miles  above  Nueva  Helvetia, 
At  once  the  American  settlers,  anxious  for  a  fight,  and 
alarmed  by  a  report  that  Castro  wished  to  seize  Fre- 
tnont,  hurried  to  the  camp  of  the  latter.  It  turned  out, 
however,  that  Castro  had  no  such  intention,  wishing 
merely  to  exclude  the  American  cungrants,  then  known 
to  be  on  the  route  from  the  United  States,    The  Anieri- 


%^^ 


UPPEK    Oil    NEW    CALIFORNIA. 


t>.:> 


cans^  however,  determined  to  anticipate  Castro,  and  at 
once  seized  his  convoy  of  horses.  This  took  place  Juno. 
10.  This  was  a  revolution  known  as  that  of  the  Bf;ar 
Flag,  such  beinjET  the  device  on  a  banner  raised  by  a 
Mr.  Meares  and  thiriy-five  men  who  formed  the  revoiu- 
tionary  army.  They  then  captured  Sonoma,  a  presidio 
or  fort,  opposite  San  Francisco,  and  with  it  nine  g'uns, 
two  hundred  muskets,  and  several  officers.  Here  a 
garrison,  under  the  command  of  Captain  Ides,  was  placed, 
and  soon  after  a  declaration  of  independence  of  Mexico 
was  published.  Castro  also  published  another  procla- 
mation, calling  on  tlie  people  to  defend  the  country. 

Fremont  then  arrived  at  the  Sacramento,  where  ho 
learned  that  Sonoma  was  about  to  be  attacked  by  Cas- 
tro. This  was  June  23 ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the 
25th  he  appeared  m  front  of  it,  with  a  par(y  of  ninety 
men,  a  detachment  of  whom,  twenty  in  number,  met 
and  attacked  a  party  of  Castro's  dragoons,  seventy 
strong.  In  this  affair  the  Mexicans  are  said  to  have 
lost  nine  pieces  of  brass  artillery.  Secure  thus  in  pos- 
session of  Sonoma,  Fremont  organized  a  government,  of 
which  he  made  himself  the  head,  and  determined  to  at- 
tack  Castro.  While  in  pursuit  of  him  towards  Ciudad 
de  los  Angeles^  whither  he  had  fled,  he  learned  that 
Monterey  had  been  oc  pied  by  the  naval  commander. 
A  combined  expedition,  and  r  Frtmont  and  8' ociiton, 
was  then  commenced,  which  res\iited  in  the  occupation 
of  Los  Angeles,  13th  January,  lf^47.  Stockton  then 
appointed  Fremont  governor. 

We  now  will  return  to  Gen.  Kearny.  After  occupy- 
ing New  Mexico,  that  officer,  at  the  head  of  a  large 
force,  marched  towards  California.  Scarcely,  however, 
had  he  reached  the  Rio  del  Norte,  when  he  encountered 
an  express  from  Stockton,  informing  him  o^  li  that  had 
occurred.  He  therefore  sent  back  all  oi  ms  command 
except  a  mere  escort.  After  a  m-xrch  of  incredible  diffi- 
culty. Gen.  Kearny  reached  Agua  Caliente,  the  eastern 
frontier  settlement  of  California,  where  he  was  met  by, 
a  small  party  commanded  by  Captain  Gillespie,  which 


56 


UPPER    OR    NEW    CALIFORIVCA. 


informed  him  that  California  was  in  revolt,  and  that  a 
force  of  700  or  800  w  as  under  arms  in  the  field. 

Hurrying  on,  on  the  6th  December  Gen.  Kearny  en- 
countered the  enemy  at  San  Pasqual,  whom  he  imme- 
diately attacked  and  routed,  after  a  sharp  contest,  in 
which  he  lost  Captains  Moore  and  Johnston,  and  Lieut. 
Hammond,  of  the  first  dragoons ;  and  in  whieli  he  was 
himself  wounded  in  two  places,  as  were  also  Lieut.  War- 
ner, topographical  engineers,  and  Captains  Gillespie  and 
Gibson,  of  the  volunteers.  Two  sergeants,  two  corpo- 
rals, ten  privates  of  the  dragoons  were  killed,  and  as 
many  more  wounded.  The  enemy  numbered  one  htm- 
dred  and  sixty  men,  were  commanded  by  Andreas  Pico, 
and  were  well  mounted.  Gen.  Kearny*'s  force  was  less 
than  one  hundred  men.  On  the  next  day  Gen.  Kearny 
was  joined  by  a  detachment  of  sailors  and  marines ;  and 
having  till  then  been  detained  by  the  cares  necessary  for 
the  dead  and  wounded,  continued  his  march. 

On  the  8th  and  9th  of  December  ho  was  again  at- 
tacked, driving  the  enemy  before  him  with  small  loss 
to  himself;  and  on  the  10th,  while  a  fugitive,  Castro 
encountered  Fremont,  to  whom  he  capitulated.  Unfor- 
tunate difficulties  then  ensued,  in  consequence  of  Cap- 
tain Stockton's  rcfusin^^  to  recognise  the  right  of 
General  Kearny  to  command,  which  created  much 
sensation  in  the  United  States.  Commodore  Biddle, 
however,  having  arrived  on  the  coasts  assumed  com- 
mand of  the  naval  forces,  sustained  Kearny,  and  sent 
Stockton  to  the  United  States.  Colonel  Fremont  was 
subsequently  arrested,  tried,  found  guilty,  and  sentenced 
to  be  dismissed  ihe  service.  Though  the  punishment 
was  remitted,  he  immediately  resigned.  Colonel  R.  B. 
Mason,  first  dragoons,  was  subsequently  appointed  to 
the  command  of  California,  as  civil  and  military  go- 
vernor, and  at  the  last  advices  was  exercising  the  au- 
thority. Two  governors.  Brig.  Gen.  Riley,  and  Major 
Gen.  P.  F.  Smith,  U.  S.  army,  have  since  been  appointed, 
but  at  the  latest  advices  ne'^hcr  had  reached  the  Pacific.. 

There  are  various  routes  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pa« 


urriiu  UK  .m:\v  California. 


57 


>d  that  a 

imy  en- 
e  imme- 
nlest,  in 
id  Lieut. 
I  he  was 
ut.War- 
spie  and 
>  corpo> 
and  as 
ne  hnn. 
IS  Pico, 
VSL3  less 
Kearny 
es ;  and 
sary  for 

ain  at. 
all  loss 
Castro 
Unfor- 
>f  Capu 
rbt   of 
much 
Biddle, 
I  com. 
d  sent 
it  was 
tenced 
hment 

MR.  a 

ted  to 

•y  go- 

le  au. 
M[ajor 
inted, 
loific^ 
Q  Pa* 


cilic,  which  may  be  divided  into  the  maritime  and  over. 
land.  Of  these  two  classes,  the  first  will  always  be  the 
most  expensive,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  far  beyond  the 
means  of  those  who  emigrate  for  the  purpose  of  belter, 
ing  their  condition.  The  other  routes  have  many  in. 
conveniences,  and  also  many  advantages.  As  long  as 
the  prairie  shall  be  inhabited  only  by  wild  Indians,  there 
will  be  difficulties  to  affright  the  timid ;  but  so  long  as 
food  and  transportation  can  be  had,  at  the  price  of  exer. 
tion  alone  for  the  needy,  poor  and  adventurous  men  will 
rather  chouse  to  risk  life  fur  prospective  riches,  than  en. 
danger  money  they  have  already  acquired,  for  the  at. 
tainment  of  a  possible  yet  uncertain  wealth.  The  outfit 
for  the  latter  of  these  routes,  that  across  the  country, 
i^'ill  be  small  indeed.  To  a  man  starting  from  any  one 
of  the  frontier  posts,  few  things  would  be  necessary. 
The  outfit  will  consist  of  but  a  couple  of  horses,  or  mules 
would  be  better,  born  of  some  hardy  race,  used  to  sub. 
sist  without  grain,  and  used  to  the  hardships  of  hunt, 
ing  and  frontier  life.  One  of  these  animals  should  be 
broken  to  the  saddle,  and  the  other  equipped  with  a 
pack-saddle,  and  all  its  accompaniments,  such  as  saques^ 
porfiechts^  girths,  etc.,  most  difficult  to  be  described,  yet 
to  be  purchased  without  difficulty  at  any  frontier  town. 
The  mule  broken  to  the  pack.saddle  should  be  light,  yet 
strong,  sure-footed,  and  able  to  cross  the  deep  and 
swampy  streams  which  intervene  at  almost  every  part 
of  the  route.  The  emigrant  should  be  clad  in  stout  and 
strong  woollen  apparel,  which  never  will  be  found  un. 
comfortable  on  the  prairies,  either  in  midsummer  or 
December.  The  other  equipment  of  the  emigrant  should 
be  a  Coitus  rifle,  or  a  good  yager  rifle,  a  hunting  knifc« 
and  a  supply  of  ammunition.  Above  all  things,  a  man 
should  not  forget  a  strong,  stout,  horse man*s  cloak,  or 
poncho,  and  blankets,  with  a  bear-skin  or  India-rubber 
cloth,  to  protect  him  from  the  damp  and  rain.  Tents 
are  of  very  little  value  to  men,  because  they  never  ex. 
elude  fog,  and  it  is  as  well  to  be  wetted  through  by  the 
xain  as  by  it. 


1 

: 

ft'j 

1 

1        \ 

1  '■      \ 

1  i 

* 

1 

r  - '  ^ ' 


f  ; 


58 


UPPEU    OR    NEW    CALIFORNIA. 


If  women  and  children  are  of  the  parly,  no  other  di- 
rection can  be  given  than  to  lay  in  a  larger  supply  of 
provisions,  with  a  few  of  the  luxuries  necessary  to  a 
tenderer  age  and  sex;  and  to  procure  a  large  wagon, 
which  may  be  drawn  either  by  mules  or  neats-cattle. 
A  practice  for  a  few  years  past  has  been  adopted  by  the 
Santa  Fe  traders,  which  is  not  unmeaning.  In  every 
caravun  are  always  three  or  four  niilch.cows,  which  arc 
broken  to  the  yoke,  and  which,  if  of  docile  temper,  have 
been  discovered  to  be  quite  as  serviceable  as  oxen.  The 
value  of  the  latter  in  parties  of  which  women  and  child- 
ren arc  members,  will  be  found  most  important ;  and 
|»ersons  who  have  once  experienced  the  benefit  to  be 
derived  from  it,  will  not  fail  to  avail  themselves  of  it 
again.  •.,:-"-•    -  *  •  «»  •      •" 

No  reasonable  man  will  expect  to  cross  the  prairie 
with  as  many  facilities  as  he  may  travel  from  Washing- 
ton city  to  Boston.  He  will  remember  that  he  has  to 
cross  deserts,  to  ascend  rugged  mountains,  to  ford  deep 
streams,  and  will  at  once  see  that  association  will  in- 
crease his  facilities  and  add  to  his  advantages.  He 
will  pass  through  many  hostile  tribes ;  be  brought  into 
contact  with  the  most  dangerous  men  of  the  world,  when 
they  are  met  by  the  unarmed  and  defenceless.  A  band 
of  one  hundred,  or  even  fifty  men,  well  armed  and  well 
equipped,  would  be  able  to  set  at  defiance  all  who  might 
attack  them.  If  the  animals  and  wagons  were  at  the 
first  moderately  loaded,  they  would,  one  after  the  other, 
become  empty ;  and  as  the  mules  of  the  party  became 
exhausted,  other  stronger  ones  of  the  train,  which  had 
previously  been  relieved,  might  supply  their  places.  A 
lew  dollars  judiciously  expended  in  the  purchase  of  trin- 
kets and  luxuries,  such  as  the  Indians  of  the  prairie 
especially  covet,  would  purchase  many  conveniences, 
and  act  most  favourably  on  the  haltlcivilised  tribes,  in 
inducing  them  to  exchange  fresh  animals  for  those  worn 
with  the  road.  Every  party,  large  or  small,  should  be 
provided  with  a  compass,  and,  if  possible,  with  a  person 
capable  of  taking  an  altitude,  and  ascertaining  by  ob- 


Mm 


'i- 


UPPEll    on    NEW    CALIFORNIA. 


50 


scrvation  the  latitude,  etc.  If  the  party  be  large,  it  is 
most  advisable  tliat  it  sliould  be  aecompanied  by  a  black- 
smith, with  a  set  of  shoeing-tools,  and  a  small  supply  of 
iron,  to  replace  bolts  which  may  become  lost  or  broken. 
In  replacing  these  there  will  be  no  difficulty,  an  excel- 
lent substitute  for  an  anv>l  being  constantly  at  handy 
either  in  the  form  of  the  masses  of  rock  frequently  to 
be  found  in  the  prairie,  and  in  the  low  and  timbered 
land  in  the  tire  of  the  vehicle  itself  which  is  to  bo 
mended.  The  point  of  departure  for  the  overland  route, 
it  is  difficult  to  define.  The  person  setting  out  from  the 
United  States  shouM  seek  the  nearest  point  of  the  fron- 
tier, where  the  last  conveniences  may  be  had.  Of  such 
points,  the  two  best  are  probably  Fort  Smith,  on  tlko 
Arkansas,  or  Independence,  on  the  Missouri.  When 
the  whole  party  has  rendezvoused,  it  should  move  a  few 
miles  and  encamp,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  if  there 
may  not  be  some  deficiencies  in  the  equipment,  and  fop 
the  purpose  also  of  an  organization  of  the  expedition ; 
for  without  some  system  of  control,  it  will  be  impossible 
to  make  a  prairie  march  of  two  thousand  miles.  When 
these  objects  are  effected,  the  party  might  set  out.  If 
Independence  be  the  starting  point,  no  better  direction 
can  be  given  than  to  keep  the  old  Santa  Fe  caravan 
route,  which  crosses  the  Arkansas  River  at  the  point 
where  the  old  line  of  the  boundary  of  New  Mexico  and 
the  Indian  territory  meets  that  river,  and  to  follow  it  by 
Alberquerque,  on  the  Rio  Puerto,  a  branch  of  the  Del 
Norte,  to  the  town  of  Tome,  on  the  last-named  river. 
So  far  there  will  not  be  the  least  difficulty.  At  the  set^ 
tlements  on  the  Del  Norte,^  mules  to  replace  the  ex- 
hausted ones  should  be  obtained,  fresh  provisions  pur- 
chased, etc.  Now  come  the  hardships  of  the  route.  The 
travellers  thence  must  follow  the  route  of  Gen.  Kearny, 
down  the  Gila  to  San  Diego,  thence  up  the  coast  to  the 
bay  of  San  Francisco,  or  whatever  be  the  bourne.  The 
route  from  Fort  Smith  would,  from  Tome  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, be  identical  with  this,  and  probably  during  the 
early  part,  far  more  convenient — passing  througli  tlie 


.  i 


60 


UrrEK    OR    NEW   OALIFORKIA. 


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country  Mf  the  Chcrokces  and  Creeks,  up  the  Canadian, 
to  about  longitude  'il4P  west  from  Washington,  and 
across  the  prairie,  over  the  head  waters  of  the  Red 
River,  to  Tom^.  Both  of  these  routes  are  well  known, 
having  been  crossed  repeatedly  by  the  United  States* 
dragoons,  and  the  traders  to  Santa  Fc.  On  all  mapcf 
the  route  of  Col.  Fremont  is  luid  down,  passing  south- 
ward of  the  limits  of  the  tract  of  country  called  the 
Great  Basin.  This  is  a  good  route,  yet  inferior  to  the 
two  first,  from  the  reason  that  it  is  always  desirable,  for 
tiic  sake  of  grass,  etc.,  to  keep  in  as  low  a  latitude  as 
possible.  There  may  be  a  route  better  than  any  yet 
travelled,  down  the  valley  of  the  Colorado,  which  is  a 
large  stream  ;  but,  if  so,  it  has  not  as  yet  been  travelled. 
Major  Ph.  St.  George  Cooke,  second  dragoons,  made  a 
variation  from  Gen.  Kearny *s  route,  on  his  way  to  Cali- 
fornia with  the  Mormon  battalion,  in  the  following  re- 
f^pects.  Continuing  for  thirty  miles  down  the  Gila,  he 
made  a  detour  southward,  returning  to  the  route  of  Gen. 
Kearny  near  the  village  of  the  Pimos  and  Maricopas. 
The  change  was  important,  as  the  route  of  Major  Cooke 
was  across  a  level  country,  without  hills,  and  for  many 
miles  along  an  old  wagon-road  from  Vanos,  in  Chi- 
liuahua.  The  above  are  the  chief  overland  routes  to 
California,  and  far  the  best  for  persons  with  small  means. 
The  most  pleasant,  however,  by  far, of  all  the  routes,  are 
those  across  the  Mexican  republic,  either  from  Tampico 
to  Guyamas,  or  from  Vera  Cruz  via  Mexico,  to  Acapulco, 
and  thence  up  the  coast  of  the  Pacific,  or  of  the  gulf  of 
California.  These  routes  are  expensive  and  inconve- 
nient,  from  the  fact  that  little  or  no  baggage  can  be 
taken ;  and  must,  therefore,  be  always  a  line  of  merely 
incidental,  not  regular  travel.  The  routes  from  the  At- 
lantic ports  to  Chagrcs,  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  are, 
to  a  degree,  liable  to  the  same  objection.  The  voyage 
from  New  York  thither  occupies  usually  fifteen  days. 
From  Chagres  to  Panama  the  country  is  crossed  by  ca- 
noes, and  part  of  the  way  in  the  saddle,  in  between  two 
and  three  days.    From  this  point  to  San  Francisco  is 


UPPER    OR    NEW    CALIFORNIA* 


61 


twenty.four  liundrcd  milosi,  and  will  occupy  not  less 
than  twenty-four  days,  when  we  take  into  consideration 
the  uncertainty  of  the  communication  which  must  for  a 
long  time  exist  on  the  Pacific.  The  expense  on  this 
route  will  not  fall  short  of  three  hundred  dollars.  There 
are  steamers  running  also  from  New  Orleans  to  Cliagres. 
Any  amount  of  freight  or  baggage  can  be  taken  without 
trouble  to  the  latter  place ;  but  there  will  be  much  difli- 
culty  in  conveying  it,  in  miserable  bungos^  up  the  river, 
or  on  mules,  over  the  mountain  road,  which  probably 
has  not  been  touched  since  the  Mexican  revolution.  It 
may  also  be  taken,  when  once  at  Panama,  easily  to  Ca- 
lifbrnia.  The  only  other  route  is  that  from  the  Atlantic 
ports,  around  the  Horn,  a  voyage  of  great  length,  of  va- 
riable  cost,  and  of  a  duration  upon  which  no  seaman- 
ship can  certainly  pronounce.  One  thing,  however,  is 
certain ;  it  cannot  occupy  less  than  six  months,  and  in 
all  probability  will  demand  a  year  at  the  least.  Tho 
cost  of  the  voyage,  including  stores,  etc.,  will  not  be 
less  than  five  hundred  dollars,  for  what  is  ordinarily 
called  a  first-class  passage.  All  of  these  voyages,  so  far, 
have  been  presumed  to  bie  by  steam.  The  voyage  by  sail 
would  iieriiaps  be  more  pleasant,  and,  in  most  cases, 
more  expeditious;  for  with  a  fair  wind  (and  those  of  the 
Pacific  may  be  calculated  with  certainty),  a  ship  or  brig 
of  correct  mould  will  generally  go  faster  than  a  steamer. 
The  sail  vessels,  too,  will  always  be  the  cheapest ;  al« 
though  as  intercourse  becomes  more  frequent,  when  the 
present  rush  shall  have  become  loss,  freight  and  passage 
will  also  decrease.  The  voyage  to  the  Pacific  was  once 
one  of  great  variety,  vessels  touching  at  Bahia,  Rio  Ja- 
neiro, Buenos  Ayres,  The  coasts  of  Patagonia,  Valpa- 
raiso, Guayaquil,  Acalpulco,  and  perhaps  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  were  also  visited ;  and  the  traveller  saw,  in  one 
voyage,  a  fourth  of  the  world.  Climates  of  all  kinds, 
many  nations  and  races,  were  seen.  This  will  not 
hi^ppen  again.  Ships  will  leave  New  York  with  full 
freights  for  San  Francisco,  and  the  passenger  can 
scarcely  expect  to  touch  the  shore,  from  the  time  he 


-n 


fr2 


U1»1»ER    on    NKW    CALIFORNtA. 


leavefi  an  Atlantic  port  until  he  reaches  Californlfli 
Other  routes  will  ultimately  he  opened,  and  time  will 
modify  those  known  to  exist  at  present.  It  may  not, 
however,  be  improper  even  now  to  refer  to  these. 

Schemes  for  railroads  to  the  Pacific  have  been  placed 
on  foot  by  various  projectors,  the  most  prominent  of 
whom  was  a  gentleman  named  Wilkes,  of  New  York. 
The  end  of  his  line  \vas,  however,  to  be  Oregon,  which 
has  been  placed  out  of  the  question  by  the  recent  Cali- 
fornia excitement.  Mr.  Wilkes'  scheme  had  reference 
exclusively  to  Oregon,  and  the  immense  current  of  trade 
to  be  expected  across  the  Pacific  fVom  India.  All  Or- 
mus*  pearls  have,  however,  been  insignificant, compared 
with  the  gold  of  California, 

Steamboats  can  scarcely  ever  usurp  the  place  of  sail 
vessels  between  t^*;  Atlantic  and  Pacific  coasts  of  the 
United  States,  for  many  reasons.  It  is  not  to  be  ex- 
pected that  the  United  States  will  soon  acquire  any  co- 
lony on  the  South  American  continent,  and  the  immense 
burden  of  coal  necessary  for  a  sea  navigation  of  more 
than  ten  thousand  miles,  will  be  so  great,  as  to  eat  up 
the  advantages  otherwise  to  be  acquired  by  speed.  Port 
charged  make  it  impossible  for  steamers  to  stop  for  fuel 
at  the  shore  of  another  nation,  and  therefore  sail  vessels 
will  long  continue  to  be  the  most  usual  mode  of  commu- 
nication between  the  two  coasts.  Heavy  freifiit  will 
not  bear  any  transportation  where  the  motive  j tower  is 
animal  strength,  and  therefore,  for  some  centui  ies,  the 
old  mode  of  **  weathering  the  Horn"  will  continue  In 
making  this  immense  voyage  time  is  lost  and  aanger 
run,  which  persons  travelliivg  rapidly  will  seek  to  avoid, 
precisely  as  for  some  time  past  the  exigencies  of  the 
British  government  have  made  necessary  the  Aden  route 
to  Bengal.  This  can  best  be  done  by  a  canal  across 
some  one  of  the  isthmus*  of  Mexico  or  Guatemala.  For 
more  than  a  century  the  feasibility  of  this  scheme  has 
been  a  subject  of  great  consideration,  and  many  scien- 
tific men  have  lent  their  minds  to  elucidating  its  various 
bearings.     Among  those  persons  who  have  made  it  a 


to 


urrEn  or  new  California. 


G3 


subject  of  consideration  was  the  famons  Baron  Hum- 
boldt,  to  whom  Spain,  in  violation  of  the  rule  she  seemed 
to  have  marked  out  for  herself  in  regard  to  her  colo- 
nies, unfolded  all  the  information  which,  during*  the 
course  of  centuries,  had  been  acquired  by  her  officials 
of  every  grade.  This  savant,  consequently,  without  a 
personal  examination,  was  able  to  throw  on  the  matter 
so  distinct  a  light,  that  even  now  his  authority  continues 
to  be  considered  almost  decisive  on  the  matter.  He  in- 
dicates five  different  points  of  what  is  now  known  as 
Central  America,  or  in  Mexico,  where  a  passage  may 
be  had  : 

Ist.  At  the  Isthmus  of  Darien.     •  '  "    .'  ','' 

2d.  In  the  Colombian  Province  of  Choco.       [\"'^,:"* 
3d.  At  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec.  .-''*'*''    ^ 

4th.  By  way  of  Lake  Nicaragua.  '   '      <•    '.\ 

5th.  At  the  Isthmus  of  Panama. 
In  relation  to  the  first,  there  are  two  manifest  diffi- 
culties ;  the  principal  of  which  is,  that  the  isthmus  is 
sixty  miles  long,  and  very  mountainous,  without  any 
river  other  than  the  Santa  Maria,  which  would  require 
to  be  canalled  its  full  length.  The  isthmus  is  also 
crossed  longitudinally  by  a  lofly  chain  of  mountains, 
which  must  necessarily  be  divided  to  render  the  scheme 
at  all  practicable.  It  is  besides  cursed  with  a  most  un- 
healthy climate,  which,  in  spite  of  many  advantages 
offered  by  ports  on  both  seas,  has  always  prevented  its 
beihg  populated.  It  is  doubtful  whether  any  labourers 
unacclimated  (and  such  a  work  cannot  be  accomplished 
by  any  of  the  present  South  American  races),  can  resist 
its  faUl  effects.  ^^^   -v  -'   •>     ^ '  ^     - '  '  > 

The  union  through  the  Choco  could  be  effected,  at  a 
very  slight  expense ;  but  the  shallow  waters  of  the 
Avalo,  which  runs  into  the  north,  and  the  Noanona, 
emptying  into  the  south  seas,  even  if  united,  could  only 
admit  vessels  of  very  light  draught.  The  commerce  of 
the  world,  however,  being  carried  on  by  three-masted 
vessels,  such  a  communication,  with  only  eight  feet  of 
water  at  the  deepest,  would  be  valueless. 


\  I 


64 


UPPER    OR    NEW    CALFFOUXIA. 


or  all  the  routes,  Hiimbolilt  preferred  the  one  through 
Tehuantepec,  believing  that  at  the  port  of  Guasacoalco, 
on  the  gulf|  a  river  existed  of  far  more  depth  tlian  re* 
cent  examinations  have  shown  the  stream  to  possess. 
The  Chimolapa  he  also  thought  a  very  deep  stream.  It 
has  been  however  ascertained  tiiut  in  accomplishing  this 
work  there  arc  many  difficulties,  not  the  least  of  which 
are  the  breadth  of  the  isthmus,  and  the  great  unhealthi- 
ness  of  the  climate. 

The  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  Lake  Nicaragua  remain, 
and  to  these,  of  late  years,  attention  has  been  exclusively 
directed,  under  the  auspices  of  the  republic  of  Guate- 
mala and  Columbia.  The  principal  of  these  plans  arc 
the  following : 

Barclay  &  Co.,  of  London,  proposed,  Sept  18,  1824, 
to  the  authorities  of  Guatemala,  to  effect  a  passage 
through  Lake  Nicaragua;  and,  2d  Feb.,  1825,  Burke 
and  llanos  made  the  same  offer. 

A  contract  between  Guatemala  and  Palmer  &>  Co.,  of 
New  York,  was  signed  June  16th,  1848,  to  make  a  ca- 
nal  along  tlie  Rio  de  San  Juan,  and  to  unite  Lake  Nica- 
ragua to  the  Pacific.  The  king  of  HoUaad  al  the  same 
time  made  the  same  offer.  ..,..,: 

In  1829,  Bolivar  sent  engineers  to  examine  the  coun- 
try between  Chagres,  and  intended  to  employ  the  army 
of  Colombia  in  making  the  canal. 

In  June,  1831,  and  October,  1833,  the  congress  of 
Panama  authorised  any  company  which  would  accept 
certain  conditions,  to  open  a  canal  or  railroad.  And 
again,  in  1833,  Baron  Thierry  obtain  d  permission  to 
open  a  canal  between  the  Rio  Chagres  and  Quebra 
Grande.         ,   -  -  '.   - 

March  3, 1835^  the  congress  of  the  United  States  sent 
out  an  agent  to  look  into  this  scheme.  The  officer, 
however,  instead  of  attending  to  his  employer's  interest, 
obtained  a  grant  in  favour  of  himself.  Thus  was  lost 
to  the  United  States  the  glory  of  tiiis  enterprise. 

The  house  of  Solomon  &,  Co.,  of  Guadalupe,  in  May, 
1838,  obtained  the  grant  which  had  previously  been 


rpjMVR   r;T{    m:\v  f  at.i torxta. 


06 


■i  ^ 


conrrdrd  1o  \\w  a^fMJioftljp  United  Slates.  All  of  these 
plane  failed ;  and  recently  a  n^'W  company  has  been 
formed,  which  have  Jin  njfcnt  now  at  Panama,  making 
a  reconnoisHance  for  a  railroad,  of  the  puocess  of  which 
there  is  no  dotiht.  This  will  be  but  a  temporary  expedient, 
yet  will  answer  /or  the  time,  and  v/ili  be  important,  aa 
it  cannot  but  demonstrate  the  immense  advantages  to 
be  derived  from  a  perfect  communication. 

By  way  of  Jiakc  Nicaragua,  there  already  exists  an 
almost  perfect  communication  through  Lake  Leon,  and 
up  the  San  Juan,  which  descends  in  a  winding  course 
to  the  Atlantic,  about  one  hundred  miles  long.  The 
lake  itself  is  about  eight  fathoms  deep.  At  the  mouUi 
is  a  bar,  which,  when  once  crossed,  admits  vessels  into 
a  roadstead  of  twenty.fivc  feet  deep,  which  continues  a 
long  way.  It  is  said,  however,  that  not  more  than  four 
feet  water  can  be  depended  on.  The  Marquis  of  Yce- 
neni,  and  all  others,  agree  that  in  the  route  are  rocks, 
and  great  natural  difficulties.  The  Lake  of  Nicaragua 
is  large,  being  one  hundred  miles  by  forty,  and  has  no 
outlet  other  than  the  San  Juan,  though  many  deep 
streams  run  into  it.  The  San  Juan  has  never  been  ac- 
curately explored,  and  much  that  is  set  down  is  conjee, 
tural.  There  is  however  one  strong  '»i»*cum stance  in 
favour  of  its  navigjbility.  The  old  Spanish  government 
knew  much  of  this  country,  and  affixed  the  penalty  of 
death  to  any  nttempt  to  navigate  it.  The  object  of  this 
was  to  keep  foreign  curiosity,  in  relation  to  the  route 
by  Nicaragua,  at  bay.  No  such  precautions  were  taken 
in  relation  to  the  others.  There  are,  however,  after  the 
establishment  of  a  communication  with  Nicaragua,  other 
difficulties ;  a  range  of  low  hills  would  be  required  to 
be  pierced,  and  there  is  certainly  a  diiFerence  between 
the  level  of  the  lake  and  the  Pacific  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  feet. 

The  Panama  route  is  short,  and  should  end  at  Cha- 
gres  and  Panama ;  and  the  country  is  said  to  be  divided 
not  by  mountains,  but  by  almost  isolated  hills,  with  low 
marshes   between   the   peaks.     There  is  also  along  a 


n 


I  ' 


mm 


mst 


5 


i 


I 


m 


UPPER    Oil    NEW    CALIFORNIA. 


great  portion  of  tfie  route  an  immense  lagoon,  which 
would  dispense  with  much  of  the  excavation.  The 
great  difficulty,  the  inequality  of  the  level  of  the  two  seas, 
is  not  so  great  as  it  is  thought,  for  at  two  periods  of 
each  day  and  night,  they  are  at  the  same  level  precisely. 
Ultimately  a  communication  will  be  effected  some- 
where. On  the  route  of  Tehuantepec  there  are  many 
advantages.  During  the  rainy  season,  even  now,  there 
is  a  communication  for  boats  from  sea  to  sea.  The 
isthmms  has  also  many  deep  rivers;  two  of  which,  one 
running  into  ihe  gulf,  and  the  other  to  the  Pacific,  are 
navigable  for  vessels  of  the  largest  size  to  within  twenty 
leagues  of  each  other.  There  is  also  a  good  wagon  road 
across  the  isthmus,  whicii,  even  now,  may  be  crossed  in 
fourteen  hours.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  some  day 
there  will  be  a  communication  for  large  vessels  here,  - 

In  the  following  correspondence  which  has  been  pub- 
lished by  authority,  since  the  last  pages  were  wtitten, 
the  reader  will  find  the  ideas  of  the  best  route  inculcated 
by  this  book,  warmly  urged  by  persons  who  have  long 
been  famiiiar  with  the  Santa  Fe  and  California  tradt., 
It  is  important  enough  to  be  published  entire. 

Washington,  February  2,  1849. 
Dear  Sir, — In  answer  to  your  inquiries  concerning 
the  emigrating  party  from  Arkansas  to  California,  which 
will  set  off*  about  the  first  of  April  next,  I  herewith  en- 
close you  a  communication  from  the  adjutant-general, 
oivering  a  copy  of  a  letter  of  instructions  to  General 
Arbuckle,  with  which  he  has  been  kind  enough  to  fur- 
nish me.  From  this,  you  will  see  that  an  escort  of 
troops  has  been  ordered  to  accompany  this  party,  at 
least  as  far  as  Santa  Fe.  In  connbction  with  this  expe- 
dition, ako.  as  you  will  see,  an  officer  of  topographioal 
engineers  has  been  ordered  to  make  a  reconnoissance 
of  the  route  travelled,,  t^nd  to  report,  &c.  I  need  not 
remark  upon  the  advantager?  this  action  of  (he  govern- 
ment will  confer  upon  the  expedition — in  affording  se- 
curity to  all  who  may  desire  to  avail  themselves  of  this 


uri»Eii  ou  yiAv  California. 


67 


opportunity  to  visit  our  farthest  western  possessions. 
But  the  great  benefit  to  tlie  country  I  anticipate  from 
tlie  movement,  is  the  settlement,  in  great  part,  at  least, 
of  the  mooted  question,  Which  is  the  shortest  and  best 
route  to  California  ?" 

Herewith  I  send  you,  Filso,  slips  from  the  Fort  Smith 
Herald,  consistiPiT  of  an  editorial  of  that  paper,  and  the 
circular  of  the  leaders  of  the  emigrating  party.  These, 
I  doubt  not,  will  be  read  with  interest  by  all  who  desire 
to  go  to  California ;  and  I  assure  you  the  statements, 
alike  of  the  editorial  and  the  circular,  may  be  confi- 
dently relied  upon.         "  '  .    '      •    , ,■,?,; 

I  will  add,  that  at  this  time,  and  from  this  until  late 
in  the  spring  or  summer,  Fort  Smith  is  entirely  ac- 
cessible, on  steamboats  of  good  size  and  excellent  ac- 
commodations, by  way  of  the  Arkansas  river.  To  this 
add  the  estimate  of  only  one  hundred  days  i'ot  the  over- 
land travel  from  Fort  Smith  to  San  Francisco,  which  I 
consider  verr  reasonable,  and  it  will  be  found  that  this 
route  already  compares  favourably,  as  to  time,  with  any 
other  proposed  route.  And  when  the  certainty  and 
safety  of  this  expedition,  togetber  with  tlie  salubrity  of 
the  country  and  climate  through  which  it  will  pass,  are 
further  considered,  its  advantages  and  inducements  to 
emigrate  strike  the  mind  in  admirable  contrast  with 
those  of  any  and  every  other.  The  trip  from  almost 
any  jx>rlioii  of  the  eastern  or  middle  states  to  Fort  Smith 
can  be  made  with  entire  convenience  and  comfort  on 
steamboats  and  railroads,  within  three  weeks  at  farthest. 
Thus,  only  one  hvndred  and  twenty  days,  or  four  months^ 
will  be  sufficient  to  place  the  emigrant,  from  the  most 
distant  point  m  the  United  States,  at  San  Francisco; 
arid  that,  too,  over  a  route  which,  for  safety,  certainty, 
and  freedom  from  disease,  has  no  rival.  Who  would 
expect  to  reach  San  Francisco  by  way  of  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  now  rej^arded  as  the  most  expeditious  and 
almost  the  only  route,  within  a  time  much  shorter  than 
I  heve  estimated  for  the  other  ?  especially  when  the  al- 
most inevitable  delay  ai  Panama,  waiting  for  transpor- 
tutio^s  is  considered ;   a.id  (^ncountciing,  at  the  sumo 


1   i 


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63 


urrEU  on  m:w  cALiioitMA. 


time,  the  diseicoiuforts  uiid  perils  of  a  sea  voyuge  ibr  a 
distance  of  at  least  fifteen  hundred  miles,  even  from 
New  Orleans  to  Chagres,  and  about  double  that  distance 
from  Panama  to  San  Francisco — to  say  nothing  of  the 
hazards  of  the  general  insalubrity  of  tiie  tropics  to  un- 
climatizcd  persons,  and  the  particular  pestilential  atmo- 
sphere of  Chagres — and  leaving  out  of  the  account  the 
troublesome  and  expensive  travel  across  the  isthmus. 
The  Fort  Smith  route  is  free  from  all  these  very  serious, 
and,  to  many  persons,  insuperable  objections;  while 
over  the  more  northern  overland  route  from  Indepen- 
dence, heretofore  generally  travelled,  to  Santa  Fe,  it  has 
tlie  very  important  and  desirable  advantages  of  a  shorter 
distance  by  about  one  hundred  miles — of  an  earlier  sea- 
son (for  grass  upon  the  prairies)  of  about  three  weeks — 
uf  supplies  of  corn  and  other  provisions  for  about  two 
hundred  miles  on  the  way — and  of  an  abundance  of 
wood  and  water  the  whole  distance. 

As  I  have  received  many  letters  of  inquiry  similar  to 
your  own  from  various  portions  of  the  country,  and  as 
a  press  of  business  puts  it  out  of  my  power  to  answer 
them,  you  may,*  if  you  think  proper,  make  this,  with  its 
enclosures,  public,  ibr  the  information  of  all  who  may 
desire  such  information  as  it  conveys. 

1  am,  very  respectfully  and  truly,  yours, 

SOLON  BORLAND. 

Col.  Jno.  C.  McClemore,  Washington  city. 

Adjutant  General's  Office,  Jan.  23,  1849.    ' 
Dear  Sir, — The  secretary  of  war,  having  referred  to 
this  olHce  your  communication  of  the  10th  instant,  re- 
questing an  escort  of  dragoons  for  a  party  of  citizens  of 
Arkansas,  who  design  proceeding  to  Santa  Fe  in  April 
next,  I  have  the  pleasure  to  enclose  you  a  copy  of  a  let- 
ter of  instructions  of  tiiis  date,  addressed  to  Brevet  Bri- 
gadier General  Arbuckle,  by  which  you  will  see  that 
Uie  war  department  has  fully  complied  with  your  request. 
I  am,  dear  sir,  very  truly  yours,        R.  JONES.   * 
Hon.  8.  BonLAND,  U.  S.  Senate,  Washington,  D.  C.   ^\ 


€'•-. 


UVPER    OR    NEW    CALlFoRMA. 


6ft 


of 


;-(    ;     .,.,.,.,-     •  Adjutant  General's  Oi'i'iCE. 

Washington,  Jan.  23,  1849. 

General, — Senator  Borland,  of  Arkansas,  has  stated 
to  the  secretary  of  war  that  a  party  of  citizens  of  that 
state  are  desirous,  some  to  emigrate  and  others  to  trade 
in  the  territories  of  New  Mexico  and  California,  pro- 
vided that  the  party  be  protected  by  a  military  escort. 
The  plan  proposed  is,  for  such  citizens,  as  may  be  de- 
sirous  of  making  the  exploration,  to  rendezvous  early  in 
April  at  Fort  Smith  or  Van  Buren,  and  proceed  to  Santa 
Fe,  along  the  valley  of  the  Canadian  river,  &c.  The 
secretary  of  war,  being  anxious  to  obtain  information 
with  respect  to  this  route,  as  well  as  desirous  of  affording 
proper  facilities  for  sucli  explorations  as  the  one  contcm- 
plated,  and  with  a  view  of  opening  new  avenues  for 
emigration  to  our  newly-acquired  territory,  he  deems  it 
expedient  to  authorize  the  desired  protect'on  ;  and  you 
are  accordingly  requested  to  organize  a  s  litable  escort 
to  accompany  the  party  as  far  as  Santa  Fe. 

As  you  have  no  dragoons  at  this  time  within  your 
department,  a  detachment  of  one  officer  and  thirty  men 
from  company  F,  at  Fort  Scott,  has  been  ordered  to  re- 
port to  you  in  person. 

Inform  the  citizens  of  Fort  Smith  at  what  time  the 
troops  will  be  in  readiness  to  move. 

It  is  intended  that  an  officer  of  topographical  engi. 
neers  shall  accompany  the  detachment,  to  make  a  re- 
connoissance  of  the  route,  report,  &c. 

Enclosed  herewith  you  will  receive  special  orders 
(No.  6)  of  this  date,  making  the  details  referred  to. 

I  am,  General,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  serv*t, 

R.  JONES,  Adj't.  Gen. 

Bvt.  Brig.  Gen.  M.  Arbuckle, 
Comd'g  7th  Mil.  Dept.,  Fort  Smith,  Arkansas. 

Emigrants  to  California. — We  call  the  attention  of 
individuals  and  companies  in  the  various  states  of  tiio 
unioHf  who  are  preparing  to  proceed  to  California,  to  the 
circular  of  the  Fort  Smith  Conipnny,  in  a  subsequent 


ni 


'^A 


70 


VPPEK    OU    ?iEW    CALIFOK-\IA. 


column.  Wc  have  now  a  plenty  of  water  in  our  river, 
offering  a  fine  opportunity  for  forwarding  freight  without 
delay  to  the  rendezvous  at  Fort  Smith,  .  .  ?«  .tcsi ; 

Ho !  FOR  California. — We  publish  below  a  copy  ofa 
circular,  which  has  been  issued  on  a  letter  sheet,  by  tho 
agents  of  the  comp>any  making  up  for  California.  The 
great  amount  of  letters  received  on  the  subject  it  was^ 
found  impossible  to  answer;  therefore  it  was  deemed 
tiie  best  plan  to  send  forth  the  circular,  and  embrace  in 
it  all  of  the  necessary  information  that  migiitbe  thoughl 
requisite.  j 

For  the  information  of  the  public,  v/e  would  state  that 
this  place,  Fort  Smithf  has  between  five  hundred  and  a 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  that  it  is  steadily  increasing 
in  population.  Buildings  are  going  up  constantly.  Tliu 
military  post  at  this  place  is  in  no  way  connected  with 
tiie  town,  but  lies  without  its  corporate  limits,  partly  in 
the  state  and  partly  in  the  Choctaw  nation.  In  regard 
to  bttsines&\  perhaps  no  place  within  the  limits  of  this 
state,  of  the  same  amount  of  population,  can  boast  of 
doing  as  much  in  the  way  of  trade.  There  are  several 
wholesale  mercantile  houses,  besides  a  large  number  of 
retail  stores.  All  are  doing  well ;  and  altliough  tiie  past 
season  has  been  one  of  unprecedented  dullness  in  con. 
Kequence  of  the  low  stage  of  water  in  the  river,  which 
has  prevented  several  of  the  merchants  from  reeeivimg' 
tiieir  goods,  yet  business  has  been,  and  continues,  brisk* 
Mechanics  of  every  trade,  almost,  may  be  found  here. 
There  are  a  number  of  blacksmith  and  wagon-maker 
shops,  where  work  is  done  as  well  and  as  cheap  as  at 
any  other  point  in  the  western  country.  Carpenters  are 
all  busily  engaged  in  the  building  of  houses;  and  here 
we  would  remark,  that  one  evidence  of  the  prosperity 
of  Fort  Smith,  is,  that  vacant  houses  cannot  be  found 
puflicient  to  meet  the  demand  of  those  who  wish  to  rent. 
Provisions  can  be  purchased  as  cheap  hero  as  at  any 
other  place  in  the  United  States,  not  excepting  Cincia* 
nati  or  St.  Louis. 


^ 


Vl'l'LK   OK    IVL:W   CA LI i'ou.\r.\. 


71 


9 
I 


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k 

r 

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i 


The  persona  wishing  to  unite  with  the  company  for 
California,  will  see  at  once  that  in  starling  from  thit* 
place  every  necessary  for  an  outfit  may  be  procured  at 
Tcry  low  prices,  and  the  transportation  will  thus  be 
saved.  Even  horses,  mules,  oxen,  wagons,  &.c.,may  al) 
be  purchased  here  on  very  reasonable  terms. 

We  had  some  conversation  a  few  days  ago  with  a 
gentleman  (Mr.  Thomas  Aird)  on  (he  subject  of  the 
California  expedition.  Mr.  A.  is  an  intelligent  man, 
and  is  engaged  in  trade  among  the  Creeks  and  Semi- 
iioles,  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  from  this 
town,  on  Gregg's  trace.  He  states  that  the  road  from 
tills  place  to  his  trading-house  is  good,  and,  with  a  little 
work,  it  might  be  made  a  first-rate  road  ;  and  that  those 
Indians  have  a  large  surplus  of  corn  and  beef,  which 
could  be  purchased  at  very  low  prices.  The  Creeks  are 
a  very  civil,  industrious  people,  and  always  raise  an 
abundance  of  produce.  The  Seminoles  are  very  friendly 
and  civil  to  the  whites.  This  route  is  settled  about  two 
hundred  miles,  and  there  is  a  plain  wagon  road  for  that 
distance,  within  four  hundred  miles  of  Santa  Fe  and 
Albuquerque ;  which  latter  place  is  on  the  direct  way 
to  California. 

We  would  invite  all  those  persons  who  are  intending 
to  emigrate  to  the  delightful  and  healthful  region  of 
California,  to  come  this  way,  aud  unite  with  the  com-. 
}>any  now  forming  here,  which  is  increasing  in  numbers 
daily  ;  and  we  can  assure  them  with  certainty  that  they 
will  find  this  the  shortest  and  best  route,  affording  ac- 
commodations  tiiat  can  bo  found  on  no  other.  Our  in. 
formation  is  obtained  from  good  and  reliable  authority^ 
such  as  cannot  be  questioned. 

Undoubtedly  practicable,  it  must  continue  the  popular 
route,  and  is,  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  tbe  only  cer* 
tain  road  to  Califurniu, 


41 


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■i 


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n»  <• 


i» 


APPENDIX. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  GOLD  IN  ITS  VARIOUS 
STATES  —  METHODS  OF  TESTING  ITS 
GENUINENESS,  ETC. 

Gold,  in  chemistry  and  metallurgy,  is  a  yellow  metal 
of  specific  gravity  19*3.  It  is  found  in  nature  only  in  a 
metallic  state,  and  most  commonly  in  grains,  ramifica- 
tions, leaves  or  crystal,  rhomboidal,  octahedral,  or  pyra- 
midal.  Its  matrix  is  generally  quartz,  sandstone,  sili- 
ceous schistus,  &c.  It  is  found  also  in  the  sands  of 
many  rivers,  particularly  in  Africa,  Hungary,  and 
France,  in  minute  irregular  grains,  called  gold  dust. 
Native  gold  is  never  completely  pure  ;  it  is  alloyed  with 
silver  or  copper,  and  sometimes  with  iron  and  tellurium. 
The  largest  piece  of  native  gold  discovered  in  Europe, 
was  fbu.id  in  the  county  of  Wicklow,  Ireland.  Its  weight 
was  22  ounces.  Much  larger  lumps  have  been  found  in 
South  America ;  and  in  Cabarrus  county.  North  Caro- 
lina, a  piece  was  found,  weighing  28  pounds,  to  say  no- 
thing of  the  large  lumps  recently  picked  up  in  Upper  Cali- 
fornia. The  gold  hitherto  found  in  California  has  been 
obtained  chiefly  on  the  American  and  Feather  rivers, 
branches  of  the  Sacramento.  It  exists  in  the  sand  and 
gravel  in  the  bottoms  of  the  rivers  and  creeks,  and  in 
the  earth  on  their  banks.  Various  simple  machines  have 
been  invented  for  working  it,  but  the  mode  generally 
pursued  is  as  follows  :  one  or  two  shovelfulls  of  earth  are 
thrown  into  a  tin  pan  or  wooden  bowl,  which  is  then 
placed  an  inch  or  two  under  water ;  the  operator  stirs 
up  the  dirt,  so  that  the  running  water  will  carry  off  the 
lighter  matter,  occasionally  throwing  out  with  his  hand 
the  stones  and  gravel.  Afler  continuing  this  operation  for 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  a  small  quantity  of  black  sand 


4 


AITENUIX. 


78 


and  giuYci  remains,  vviiicli  is  pluced  on  a  dotii  ur  hand- 
kerchief, and  dried  in  the  sun,  when  the  lightest  parti- 
clos  being  blown  off,  the  pure  gold  remains.  In  some 
of  this  black  sand  tiie  metal  exists  in  particles  from  the 
size  of  a  pin's  head  to  the  weight  of  an  eighth  of  an  ounce. 
In  other  cases  it  is  obtained  in  small  flat  or  slightly 
rounded  scales,  similar,  except  in  weight  and  colour,  to 
fish  scales.  It  has  been  likewise  found  in  the  fissures 
of  the  rocks,  or  pockets,  as  these  deposits  are  called,  in 
pieces  of  considerable  size  and  value. 

1'he  following  is  Kirwan's  arrangement  of  tlie  ores  of 
gold :  .  .   , 

Species  1. — Native  gold.  Its  colour  yellow,  more  or 
less  dilute,  or  brownish-red,  like  Spanish  snufT,  malle- 
able and  flexible.  Found  either  in  compact  masses;  or 
in  spangles,  inlaying  or  disseminated  ;  or  capillary,  ar- 
borescent, ramified,  interwoven,  or  dentiform  ;  or  crys- 
tallised in  cubic,  pyramidal,  prismatic,  or  tabular  forms ; 
or  in  grains  visibly  or  invisibly  mixed  with  various 
other  substances.  External  lustre,  3.  Internal,  2.  Me- 
t.illic.  Fracture,  hackly.  Hardness,  5.  Specific  gravity 
exceeds  12,  more  or  less  in  proportion  to  the  quantity  of 
silver  or  copper  with  which  it  is  commonly  alloyed,  and 
the  cavities  it  may  contain. 

The  substances  in  or  on  which  it  is  found  are  either 
stony,  sandy,  earthy,  or  inflammable,  or  ores  of  other 
metallic  substances.  Of  the  first,  the  most  common  is 
quartz,  siliceous  schistus,  hornstonc,  sandstone,  spar, 
gypsum,  &/C.,  in  Hungary,  Transylvania,  Bohemia,  &,c. ; 
or  trap,  or  jasper,  felspar,  or  in  clays,  as  in  Bohemia ; 
or  in  the  sand  of  various  rivers,  in  different  countries, 
as  Hungary,  France,  Africa,  &.c. :  particularly  in  the 
yellowish-red,  and  violet  sands.  It  is  so  generally  in- 
terspersed through  earths  of  various  kinds,  that  Berg- 
man  thinks  it  more  extensively  diffused,  though  in  ex- 
cccdingly  small  quantities,  than  any  other  metal,  except 
iron. 

If  100  lbs.  of  sand  contain  24  grs.  of  gold,  it  is  said 
the  separation  is  worth  attention.     In  Africa  6  lbs.  of 
7 


-"^J 


ii 


74 


APPENDIX. 


sand  often  contains  62  grs.  of  gold.  The  lieaviest,  which 
is  often  black  or  red,  yields  most.  Gold  interspersed 
through  sand,  is  often  separated  by  mere  mechanical 
means.  Native  gold  is  sometimes  invisibly  dispersed 
and  disguised,  sometimes  visibly  contained  in  the  form 
of  a  brownish-red  powder  in  martial  pyrites,  as  in  that 
in  Adelfors  in  Sweden,  and  also  in  Norway,  Bohemia, 
and  Siberia.  It  seems  now  agreed  that  it  is  not  really 
mineralised  in  these  ores.  For  it  is  often  extracted  from 
them  by  the  mere  mechanical  means  of  pounding  and 
washing,  or  at  least  from  the  residuum  left  after  solu- 
tion in  the  nitrous  acid  ;  its  quantity  is  generally  very 
small,  scarcely  above  8  grs,  in  10,000  of  the  ore,  or  1 
oz.,  or  IJ  oz.  in  1  cwt.  of  the  ore.  That  of  Facebay,  in 
Transylvania,  however,  contains  12*5  per  cent,  of 
gold.  ■  -  ■'- 

Gold  is  also  extracted  from  a  particular  sort  of  argen- 
tiferous copper  pyrites,  called,  in  Hungary,  gelf.  Tliis 
is  found  either  massive,  or  crystallised  in  rhomboids,  or 
other  irregular  quadrangular  or  polygon  masses.  Its 
contents  in  gold  and  silver  are  rich,  but  very  unequal : 
much  of  the  gold  may  be  separated  by  pounding  and 
washing.  Muller  concludes  that  gold  exists  in  it  in  a 
state  of  dispersion,  and  not  combined  nor  consequently 
mineralised. 

Native  gold  is  found,  1.  In  solid  masses.  In  Hun. 
gary,  Transylvania,  and  Peru.  2.  In  grains.  In  the 
Spanish  West  Indies.  3.  In  a  vegetable  form,  like  the 
branches  or  twigs  of  plants.  4.  In  a  drusic  figure,  as 
if  composed  of  groups  or  clusters  of  small  particles 
united  together,  found  in  Hungary.  5.  Composed  of 
thin  plates,  on  thin  pellicles  covering  other  bodies,  found 
in  Siberia.  6.  In  a  crystalline  form  in  Hungary.  Gold 
is  also  found  in  the  form  of  thick  solid  pieces.  It  is  in 
general  more  frequently  imbedded  in  quartz,  and  mixed 
with  it  than  with  any  other  stone ;  and  the  quartz  in 
which  the  gold  is  found  in  the  Hungarian  mines,  is  of 
a  peculiarly  mild  appearance.  Sometimes,  however,  it 
is  found  in  limestone,  hornblende,  &o. 


I   -   f 


APPKNDiX. 


TESTS 


T6 


Perfectly  pure  gold  may  be  obtained,  by  dissolvings 
the  gold  of  commerce  in  nitro-muriatic  acid,  and  preci- 
pitating the  metal,  by  adding  a  weak  solution  of  sulphate 
of  iron.  The  precipitate,  after  being  well  washed  and 
dried,  is  pure  gold. 

Pure  gold  is  very  soft,  tough,  ductile,  and  malleable, 
unaltered  by  the  most  powerful  furnaces,  but  volatilised 
by  the  intense  heat  of  powerful  burning  mirrors;  and  it 
has  been  driven  up  in  fumes  by  a  stream  of  oxygen 
urged  upon  it  when  red  hot.  The  electric  shock  cot»- 
verts  it  into  a  purple  oxide,  as  may  be  seen  by  transmit- 
ting that  commotion  through  gold  leaf,  between  two 
plates  of  glass ;  or  by  causing  the  explosive  spark  of 
three  or  more  square  feet  of  coated  glass  to  fall  upon  a 
gilded  surface.  A  heat  of  32°  W.,  or  perhaps  1300<^  F. 
Is  required  to  melt  it,  which  does  not  happen  till  after 
ignition.  Its  colour,  when  melted,  is  of  a  bluish-green  ; 
and  the  same  colour  is  exhibited  by  light  transmitted 
through  gold  leaf.  But  silver,  copper,  and  all  the  rest 
of  the  metals  which  can  be  formed  into  leaves,  are  per- 
fectly  opaque. 

No  acid  acts  readily  upon  gold  but  aqua  regia  and 
aqueous  chlorine.  Chromic  acid,  added  to  muriatic, 
enables  it  to  dissolve  gold. 

When  gold  is  immersed  in  aqua  regia,  an  efferves- 
cence takes  place,  and  the  solution  tinges  animal  mat- 
ters of  a  deep  purple,  and  corrodes  them.  By  careful 
evaporation,  fine  crystals  of  a  topaz  colour  may  be  ob- 
tained. The  gold  is  precipitated  from  its  solvent  by  a 
great  number  of  substances.  Lime  and  magnesia  pre- 
cipitate it  in  the  form  of  a  yellowish  powder.  Alkalies 
exhibit  the  same  appearance ;  but  an  excess  of  alkali 
redissolves  the  precipitate.  The  precipitate  of  gold, 
obtained  from  aqua  regia  by  the  addition  of  a  fixed  al- 
kali,  appears  to  be  a  true  oxide,  and  is  soluble  in  the 
sulphuric,  nitric,  and  muriatic  acids ;  from  which,  how- 
ever, it  separates  by  stand i!»g,  or  by  evaporation  of  the 


T 


n 


i 


70 


APPENDIX. 


acids,  (ialllc  noitl  precipitates  ifold  of  a  reddish  colour, 
vcr}'  soluble  in  the  nitric  acid,  to  which  it  commiinicatea 
a  fine  blue  colour. 

Ammonia  precipitates  the  solution  of^old  much  more 
readily  than  fixed  alkalies.  This  precipitate,  which  is 
of  a  brown,  yellow,  or  orange  colour,  possesses  the  pro- 
perty of  dctonatincj  with  a  considerable  noise  when 
gently  heated.  It  is  known  by  the  name  of  fulminating 
gold.  When  precipitated  from  this  solution  by  tin,  it 
forms  the  purple  precipitate  ofCassius,  so  much  used  in 
en.imelling.  This  consists  of  an  oxide  of  gold,  mixed 
with  an  oxide  of  tin.  Sulphurcts  precipitate  gold  from 
its  solvent,  the  alkali  uniting  with  the  acid,  and  the 
gold  falling  down  combined  with  the  sulphur  ;  of  whicli, 
however,  it  may  be  deprived  by  moderate  heat. 

The  solution  of  gold  in  sulphuric  ether  appears  to 
crystallise  afler  a  considerable  time.  Mr.  Sivright  hav- 
ing allowed  a  solution  of  gold  in  sulphuric  ether  to  stand 
four  days  in  a  vcsp  1,  with  a  cork  and  a  piece  of  leather 
tied  over  it,  found  that  a  great  part  of  the  liquid  had 
evaporated,  leaving  the  gold  in  the  form  of  a  thin  plate, 
which  has  the  usual  brightness  of  pure  gold,  and  resem- 
bles  the  flat  pieces  of  native  copper  found  in  Cornwall. 
There  were  distinct  crystals  in  one  or  two  parts  of  the 
plate. 


THE   END. 


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